Lost in My World
by Jersey13
Summary: Dr. Carson Beckett is lost in my world, kidnapped by one of the most corrupt organizations in the city of Lae'yere. So I must decide: with whom should my loyalties lie? [Gen, HurtComfort, Carson centered team fic. Extreme Beckett whump. Now complete!]
1. Enamored

TITLE: Lost in My World

AUTHOR: Jersey13

DISCLAIMERS: Stargate: Atlantis is owned by MGM and the Sci-fi channel. I do not own the characters or the Stargate universe. I wrote this entirely for my own enjoyment and not for profit.

RATING: PG-13 / T (for: mildly suggestive wording, extreme and intense Carson-whumping planned for later chapters, and possibly some light Beckett/OC ship to appear in later chapters as well)

Thanks to my beta, Miyth, for telling me that this is some of the best work I've ever written. :)

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On my world, there are very few people who know their father. From what I have come to know of your people, you who are from Earth, a tightly-knit familial structure with both male and female presence seems to be somewhat commonplace. But on the world of Lae'yere, my home, the lack of any real male presence in the family is a fact of life. No respectable woman grows up with a father, or any of her brothers, nor knows who they are or even if they exist. It's simply unheard of.

Men have never held a place in the homes of women on my world, except of course as willing and unconditional bed-mates. Their minds are oft considered to be much too disorganized and inflexible to be worthy of the respect due to one considered an equal, much less to be given any leadership position or such responsibilities that require more than the most menial labor. They are taught about their place and role from a very early age, and as a woman borne of a common but noble house, I have seen many men borne from many different types and classes and homes.

One day, I found myself designing a new 'contraption' to make it easier to bring up water from the well in the center of town, where the water was clean and still remained free for everyone to drink. My mother always called my inventions 'contraptions'. As the fine and respectable women that she and my three sisters were widely considered, I was the black sheep of the family. Science and medicines were my most eager of hobbies, aside from the trade negotiation and diplomacy responsibilities I had been given by the queen. But science and medicine were considered 'dirty' endeavors, work of the lower- and middle-class members of the city. I did not often have time for those things; Her Highness liked to keep me quite busy.

But being the doer of many things, though the master of none, I was widely considered a very objective and logical person, and was often sought after to fairly settle disputes in the queen's stead. Our great queen had been more than happy to relieve herself of any responsibilities that she could delegate to someone else, and so I was appointed a position of some repute in her council. My mother was very proud of me that day.

And so when I was told a group of strangers had passed through the Well of the Ancients to visit and trade with our world, I was eager to meet them and establish a dialogue. Little did I know, however, that the encounter was about to change my life forever. It was when _he_ came to visit our world that my life changed.

I rushed away excitedly from my workbench, wiping my hands on a clean cloth before I made my way out the door and across the wide cobblestone streets of the city toward the main gate. Joni-drawn wagons and carts (you might find the 'Joni' similar to beasts of burden commonly known on your world as 'horses') puttered along between rows of countless numbers of common-folk buying their wares and groceries.

Pushing my way through the crowd, they paid me no mind as I strode forward and indicated for those most trusted of men and women guarding our city to open the gate. The military is one of the few professions on our world where men are capable of attaining some level of respect equal to that of a woman, but they are never given posts of responsibility. Such a thing would be considered absurd.

I plastered a grin on my face and enthusiastically rubbed my hands together as I looked upon the faces of the strangers before me. They gave me thoughtful looks, but did not seem hostile. Their command structure was obviously military in nature; very rigid and disciplined, if their similar-looking uniforms and the complex mechanical weapons they carried were of any indication. The exception was the one with the appearance of a leather-bound brute in their midst, of course.

I am ashamed to admit that I had misjudged him at first, just as I had misjudged all of them, but him the most of all. At that moment, though, I took him for the plain and simple brute that he appeared to be and tried to simply ignore him for the sake of the negotiations. I looked first to the female of the group of four, who by my instinct seemed like a most capable leader.

"Welcome to Lae'yere!" I exclaimed with excitement. "We are most grateful for contact with new people. Since the Wraith woke and began to cull their feeding grounds, our relations with settlements on other worlds has been somewhat strained lately."

"My name is Colonel John Sheppard," the tall black-haired man spoke first, and then with his free hand indicated each of his comrades in turn. "This is Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, and Dr. Rodney McKay."

He seemed somewhat confused by my look of puzzlement. I ignored his presumptuousness and spoke again to the woman. "Teyla Emmagan! I've heard of your name before. I had hoped to hear word of the fate of the great Athosian people. We were quite concerned for you when we found the villages on your homeworld in ruins several years ago."

"Yes," Teyla confirmed for me, seeming a bit uncomfortable. She obviously didn't remember Lae'yere. "Colonel Sheppard's people were kind enough to help us locate a new world to re-settle on. We are doing quite well for ourselves again now, thanks to them."

"Very good," I commended politely. "I would welcome the opportunity to reestablish trade with your people."

The man farthest to the right spoke next. He had slightly thinning hair and a casual smirk on his face. I found him to be exotically attractive, though he seemed eager to go about his business for some reason. "Well, now that the formal pleasantries have been dealt with, would you mind if we have a look around the city?"

I stared at him incredulously, surprised by his outgoing attitude, and was not overly offended by the affront. But the tall and imposing guard captain standing at her post behind me was not as understanding, nor as diplomatic. She glared at him coldly, and I caught the movement of her hand toward the short sword on her belt out of the corner of my eye. I raised my hand authoritatively before her, and she seemed to understand that I was attempting to allow the strangers some leniency. Settling back into her post, she continued to glare at the strangers with disgust and distrust.

They were obviously surprised at the reaction his words entailed. I knew perfectly well that their customs and protocols could be different, but they obviously had technology and weapons that were far beyond that which our own world had thus far researched. I was sure that the queen wouldn't mind if I capitulated to their rude tendencies in order to secure a trade agreement.

"Please try to understand," I attempted to explain the guard's behavior to them, since they didn't seem to know why she reacted the way she did. "There are very strict rules of conduct on this world. Negotiations and trade agreements are always made between women, and men do not involve themselves in such matters."

For men, the three male strangers were atypically considerate, and for the moment seemed willing to accept this as simply a matter of abiding by protocol. Teyla was more than capable of completing the negotiations on their behalf, and so they apparently decided to just leave it at that. I nodded in satisfaction at the unspoken agreement and motioned with my hands for them to follow.

"Please, follow me," I urged lightly, trying to bring some cheerfulness back into my voice. A couple of guards accompanied us, following the strangers at a respectful distance.

Leading them through the various streets and alleyways towards the center of commerce at the heart of the city, I casually named off the stores, marketplaces, and homes that were familiar to me. The strangers followed with mild interest, but the brute seemed to be overly distrusting of me, something I carefully noted for further observation. Teyla was doing her best to seem polite and thoughtful, and as I watched them carefully from my peripheral vision, I noticed the attractive one nudge her covertly. He obviously wanted her to try to glean more information from me.

"I was wondering," she asked coolly. "How does your city manage to repel attacks from the Wraith so effectively? Your world seems virtually untouched by the culling."

Taking a moment to ponder exactly how much I should tell them, I decided it was probably best to pique their interest in the hopes of an expanding trade agreement with them. I had no idea what they had to offer, and this seemed the best way to approach the subject. "The queen of our fair city has the means to set the sky alight with fire. She won't tell me how it works, but it always repels the Wraith during an attack. It has been many generations since they have culled our city."

This new information certainly piqued the interest of the attractive one. McKay was his name. If I was going to convince them that a trade agreement was in all our best interests, I thought I had better make an effort to learn all their names, even the names of the men. They seemed important to Teyla, and she certainly respected them. As strange as it had seemed at the time, I knew that I would just have to get to know them better.

Almost at the center of the city, there was one more street to walk before we would reach the palace. It was the only street that led directly to the palace from this section of the city, though. I hated that street. I hated it with a passion. The city hospital was located on that street.

It appalled me how horribly some of the factions and lower-class people of the city were treated, whereas the higher-class and more elite members of our society were treated much more carefully and with finesse. The queen herself had her very own hospital that she shared with no one, and it was obviously the secret of her longevity that she also shared with no one. Rumor had it that the queen, who appeared in council now and then and seemed no older than her late twenties or early thirties, was actually well over fifty years old. It just didn't seem fair not to share the secrets of her good health.

But I was just a humble servant to the city. It was not my place to question her, but to serve her and the city to the best of my ability. And right at that moment, it was my intention to serve by rushing the newcomers past that disparaging hospital as quickly as possible to present them and their interests to the queen.

I flinched as I saw the strangers peering curiously into the wide-open doors of the hospital. The smell of primitive disinfectants and smoke from the fires wafted from its dark depths. A scream echoed eerily into the streets, and I scrutinized them carefully as the attrac— McKay jumped back, startled. I sighed with frustration and continued past without stopping, the guards at the back prodding the newcomers to keep up.

The palace was just across the central square from there. Upon approaching the palace gate, the guards suddenly stepped rudely in front of us, blocking the way.

"What is the meaning of this?" I asked in confusion.

"Sorry, Ma'am," the woman to the left answered. "But the queen isn't accepting any visitors today."

I was shocked, almost beyond words. "You do realize that these are the off-world visitors, do you not? I have urgent business with the queen."

But she was insistent. "Then make an appointment with the Administrator of Royal Affairs for tomorrow."

I was incensed. How dare the queen treat _guests_, of all people, in such a manner? I steeled myself against my rising temper, desiring not to offend the strangers.

I turned away to let the two guards go back to their posts and stood humbly before my new friends with an apologetic demeanor. "I'm very sorry about that. It seems we'll have to go back. I can reserve a room for you at the inn, if you like, so that you may rest and prepare to see the queen's council first thing tomorrow."

"It's still early," Teyla said politely. "Perhaps we can take you up on your offer of accommodations later this evening."

"As you wish," I said with a grateful smile.

Sheppard was still frustrated, though. "At the risk of sounding impolite, perhaps I can offer you and your people the services of a doctor from our world as an act of good will and a demonstration of our willingness to form a trade agreement."

"Doctor," I formed the syllables of the word curiously, urging the strangers into a more secluded area of the square rather than risk another affront to the local guards. "What is a doctor?"

"A healer," he tried to explain. "A doctor is a person who helps the sick and injured."

"Or someone who holds a doctorate in some field of concentration from a university," McKay chimed in needlessly.

Sheppard shot him an annoyed glare.

I found the diatribe between them almost amusing as I nodded with understanding. I was beginning to like these people.

"I would be honored to accept the assistance of your doctor," I said appreciatively.

Sheppard gave me a warm smile, to which I heartily returned the gesture, and then I led them back through the crowded streets to the Well of the Ancients. The act of dialing the address was painless, and I was determined to wait patiently for their return. But Sheppard seemed confident that they would not be going anywhere.

I watched in stunned amazement as he touched a black box strapped to his vest and spoke into a wire, and watched with even more amazement as I heard a faint response in return. They were speaking to their people through this device! I must know more!

He caught my look of excitement at the revelation, and though I attempted to hide it, it was too late. He simply smiled understandably and continued calling for this doctor friend through the device. I waited patiently, half expecting another miracle to present itself. What I saw next wasn't quite the miracle that I was expecting.

It was that moment, vividly burned into my memory, that I met him. From the moment he stepped through the Well of the Ancients and I caught a glimpse of his kind face, I was enamored. His eyes were the palest shade of blue that I had ever seen, and my heart fluttered in my chest when I saw his good-natured smile. And when he finally spoke and introduced himself to me, his voice rang with the calling of someone who was born in a far-off land.


	2. A Room at the Inn

"I'm Dr. Carson Beckett," he said with a jovial grin, extending out his hand in the custom of his people's greeting.

"I am Ky'Lae," I responded softly.

The strangers' custom of grasping hands as a greeting was unfamiliar to me. Taking an unsteady breath, I managed to remain coherent enough to shyly offer my hand to him in return. He happily grasped my hand and shook it lightly with a firm, but gentle grip. I was somewhat intimidated by his forwardness, and it seemed to disconcert the guards standing watch behind us. They shifted their feet uncomfortably and made their disapproval clear by shooting him cold looks, provoking a perplexed reaction from Dr. Beckett.

With a cautious step back, Sheppard pulled him aside to whisper something in his ear. I could not hear what words were spoken, but I did notice Beckett's eyes widen with surprise at what he was told. It was becoming clearer to me that men were definitely not treated in the same manner on their world as they were treated here.

"Oh, my apologies," Beckett muttered with a sheepish smile directed toward the guards. "I didn't mean any offense by that."

It would have been proper to simply ignore his sincere apology, but I had the impression it would have seemed rude to them not to acknowledge it. Tact was often well to be observed when negotiating with other worlds.

"No offense taken," I assured him, deflecting a strange look from the guards, then turned back to Teyla. "Why don't I show you to your room at the inn first? Would I be correct in assuming that your people utilize separate living quarters for men and women?"

"Yes, we do," Teyla assured me with a diplomatic smile.

I was glad that my instincts were still accurate. "Very well, then. I will make sure that your… friends… have a separate room. Please, follow me."

The males' apparent discomfort became obvious at that point. What else they could have thought I was insinuating by the statement was a mystery to me, but over time as I got to know them, it did dawn on me that perhaps they did not so casually engage in relations with each other, as men and women did on my world. Here, when a woman wants a man, she will have him, and he should be glad that he is considered so desirable. I was not accustomed to the great importance that you people from Earth place on courting rituals and the decorum that is required in such endeavors.

Upon leading them back into the heart of the city, I escorted them across another side of the square from the hospital and the palace to a large building that housed the tavern and inn. The innkeeper was a woman I had a high respect for, and would also give me a good price for the business I occasionally brought her. She was a strong, tall, and imposing woman though, and she towered over the heads of most. Her usually free-flowing blonde hair was tied behind her with a simple strip of ribbon, and I got the impression that she seemed interested in the brute – Ronon.

"So you've decided to provide me with more clientele, huh Ky'Lae?" she stated casually with a hint of amusement in her voice as she thoroughly examined Ronon head-to-toe with her eyes. "What a fine selection of males you brought with you today! I simply must have this one."

"Lota!" I admonished her in embarrassment. "These are the off-worlders that have come to trade with us. These males belong to Teyla, not to me."

"Well, then," she said as she turned to Teyla, who squirmed under her intense gaze. "You must be Teyla. I am Lota'Ana, keeper of this inn. I don't suppose I could make an offer to purchase him from you, could I?"

"No!" Teyla blurted out protectively, her diplomatic manner temporarily forgotten.

"But you would still have these three other servants to tend you." Lota was hurt by the outright refusal, but did not to let that disappointment assuage her desire. "Perhaps I could rent him then, just for a few nights while you are here to enjoy the many pleasures of our fair city."

"They are not my servants!" Teyla insisted.

Ronon seemed to look upon the interchange with mild bemusement and stole a glace at Sheppard, who also sported a bewildering look. In fact, they all seemed to appear quite confused, as if they did not expect their exotic garb and mannerisms to attract the affections of some of the locals. It made me wonder just what exactly they had expected to see.

Lota was amused, and laughed at the situation. "Alright, if you do not wish to sell him, that's your business. If you change your mind, though, simply let me know."

Grateful that she had discreetly backed down, I quickly changed the subject. "Teyla requires a separate room, my friend. Would you please show them around?"

Nodding amiably, Lota led us through a hallway past the sparsely populated tavern, which smelled of a smoky wood-burning fire, a sweet and hearty stew, and also of some spilt alcohol. Beyond the tavern were the dormitories and rooms of the inn, neatly arranged to either side of the hall. Stopping at the end of the hall, she politely indicated the door to the left side.

"This is your room, my lady," she said as she opened the door. "I hope that it is to your satisfaction."

Teyla hesitantly peered inside and was greeted by the sight of lavishly decorated walls and tapestries, warmly-honed furniture, a roaring fire, and a simple but deceptively comfortable bed lined with down sheets, quilted blankets, and numerous fluffy pillows. I smiled politely; both Lota and I were hoping that she would be pleased. She seemed to be as she looked around, but turned back to us questioningly.

"Where will my friends be staying?" she asked as she slipped off her knapsack and unfastened the clip of her weapon.

"They will be staying in this dormitory here, just across the hallway," Lota assured her, indicating the door immediately to the right.

As Teyla nodded in approval, Lota next opened the door to the section of the men's dormitory across the hallway. Inside, the walls were plain off-white and unadorned, and five simple cots were arranged in a row, each draped with an equally simple sheet of linen. There was no furniture, and other than the sunlight streaming in through a small window high up on the wall, the only other source of light provided would have come from a single unlighted candle that had been set down on a mantelpiece.

"How quaint," McKay stated, obviously not impressed.

The comment earned him a quick jab in the ribs from Sheppard. But Lota caught the disapproval in his tone and decided to make an issue out of it. She slowly made her approach, intending to intimidate him, and stood over him glaring menacingly.

"You have a problem with the way I keep my dormitories, Little Man?" Lota growled irritably.

"No!" he denied, cringing nervously as he stumbled into the room; I wanted to laugh at the spectacle. "It's fine. It's, uh, it's lovely, in fact... just like home."

Grunting with annoyance, she left them to become acquainted with their new rooms, winking at me and nodding respectfully on her way back to the tavern. There really hadn't been any need for her to soften them up for me, but she was always amusing that way. There were times when men certainly needed to be disciplined for rude behavior, but I was grateful that she had known better than to embarrass Teyla in front of me by going too far. Such an affront could have put the trade negotiations in danger.

Nevertheless, Teyla's friends seemed quite resilient, and if they were offended by Lota's admonishment of McKay, they did not dwell on it. I turned my attention back to Beckett, eager to find out what knowledge of medicine their people possessed that I had not been able to find in my lifetime of tedious research through the palace's archives.

"I will return for the rest of you tomorrow when the queen is ready to receive you," I reminded them politely, then turned to Beckett. "In the meantime, Dr. Beckett, Colonel Sheppard has told me of your expertise as a healer and offered me your services. I hope you won't mind if I intend to put your skills to good use."

"Not at all," he said with a gracious smile, and then followed me through the hallways of the inn back out to the square.

It was still bustling with activity, though not quite as hectic as it was earlier. The guards, who had discreetly hidden themselves during the conversation with Lota, had by now become bored and had decided to watch over the strangers by stationing themselves in the tavern to enjoy a few pints of the local brew. I didn't mind, so long as they were diligent in their duties. The other strangers were to be monitored and must have an escort when they chose to leave the inn. A stiff, chilly breeze kicked up through the streets of the square, blowing autumn leaves swirling around us as we walked the short distance over to the hospital.

Beckett immediately threw himself into his work, moving from patient to patient in a methodical manner, noting each symptom very carefully before assessing a diagnosis. I soaked up as much information as he was willing to share, and had never before learned so much about even the most common ailments such as sprains, broken bones, lacerations, infection, or any other sickness I could think of. He told me of drugs like anesthetics and penicillin, and how easy they were to use to treat the sick and injured. With the help of a small team of doctors from his world, the quality of health care for the general populace of the city could be improved immeasurably.

But that would only be if the queen approved a trade agreement between their people and ours. I knew that the queen's interests would be self-centered, but surely there would be some use in having relations with these people, if not for access to their technology and medicines alone. Thus it came as some surprise to me when a messenger, out of breath with the speed the little girl carried the message with, suddenly brought me a note adorned with the seal of the queen herself. After reading it carefully, I was shocked.

The queen was requesting that I report directly to her immediately for a briefing about the strangers, but did not request their presence at this meeting. Peering outside at the position of the sun, I noted that it was quite close to dusk. To request a meeting this late in the evening, it must have been an important issue that the queen wished to discuss.

Thanking the little girl for her diligence, I slipped her a coin and asked her to summon Drae'Naya, my most trusted friend. She was a member of the city guard and had trained extensively in the military. We had grown up together, both of us fancying ourselves heroes of the city as children, and both of us having gotten the opportunity to make those dreams come true through our service to the queen and the city. I turned to speak to Beckett, who was still helping to clean a wound that had turned infectious for a field-hand that belonged to one of the local farmers.

"I have been called into council by the queen," I explained. "I am leaving you in the care of a good friend of mine; her name is Drae'Naya. If you finish your work before I return, she will escort you back to the inn."

A look of frustration appeared on his face. "I'm sure I can find my way back to the inn by myself, if I'm causing any trouble for you."

"No, you are no trouble for me," I assured him, trying to force a smile through my concern. "But I cannot allow you to stay here by yourself. It is neither safe nor proper for men to wander the streets by themselves without escort."

As Drae made her way up the steps and into the hospital, the armor of her city guard regalia clinking with each step, Beckett sighed heavily and went back to his work. I directed her to watch him carefully, not to let him out of her sight, and to return him to the inn when he was finished. But if I had known that he was about to become lost in my world, I might have desired to think of something more poetic to say to him before I left.


	3. A Heartfelt Parting

A/N: This story really isn't turning out exactly as I intended it to. I did at first intend for it to be a romance, but now the plot is thickening and the potential of this story is changing. I have changed the category to drama/suspense, as that classification seems to fit the overall theme better. I blame my beta, who has been AWOL the last couple of days during the creation of chapters 2 and 3. :)

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The palace guards gave me no trouble this time as I climbed the steps that led into the courtyard. The palace grounds were silent, the eerie stillness of the place only broken now and then by the sound of a guard's clinking armor as she occasionally walked past. Upon entering the council chambers, the administrative assistant on duty politely asked me to wait there for Her Highness to finish with other business.

Twenty minutes passed as I impatiently squirmed in my seat. I am not a overly patient person when it comes to matters of state, you see, and when someone sends me an urgent note to meet them this late in the evening, I expected that it be important enough that I would at least be given the courtesy of punctuality. But when the queen finally entered the chambers, motioning for me to follow her into the privacy of the administrative offices that were filled with endless bins and cabinets full of paperwork, she almost seemed bored, as if she could not be bothered with the trouble her messenger gone through to summon me at this hour.

I waited patiently for her to send me a signal that she wished me to begin my report, but for a long moment she simply stood there and studied me. It didn't make me uncomfortable, as she usually had a penchant for council sessions where the rest of the council was left waiting speechlessly as she simply sat in her throne-chair deeply pondering some issue at hand. This seemed to be another one of those moments.

"You spoke with those outlandish people," she said finally, her voice unemotional and flat. "Are they sophisticated and proper people?"

"Yes, Ma'am," I said, trying to be thoughtful and choosing my words carefully, but that was not always an easy thing to do around the queen. "They are sophisticated; their technology seems quite advanced. But their customs and manners are quite… backward."

"How so?" she demanded sharply.

This was when I started becoming uncomfortable. "I haven't completely sorted that out, as I was trying to be polite. But it seems to me that men are accorded the same respect and rights as women on their world."

"So they coddle their men and think they're better than we are," she commented with mild disgust as she folded her arms across her chest. "You have met one of them… Are their men truly that much different?"

"Different, yes," I affirmed softly. Was this really what she had summoned me so urgently for? "But many men seem alike, even those from other worlds"

She seemed to ponder this a bit more for a moment, then looked up at me strangely and straightened herself into a more authoritative pose. "Dismiss them from the city. I want no more dealings to be made with them."

I was aghast with shock. "But… Your Highness, these people have technology and medicines, and their weapons are much more advanced than our own. They have given me no reason to believe that they have any ulterior motives other than simply honest and fair trade!"

"If they are so advanced, what could they possibly want from us?" she asked surreptitiously, but then her demeanor softened a bit. I had never seen this side of her before. "Cousin, I am not prepared to risk giving them an opportunity to steal the Blessing of the Ancients from us. I can think of nothing else that they would have come here seeking. I will not give them an audience. Now, send them away."

"What if they will not leave?" I asked cautiously as she turned to go.

She did not turn back as she spoke. "I have confidence that you will appropriately handle such a situation, if it should arise."

"Yes, Ma'am," I acknowledged, but she was already out of earshot.

My passage back through the courtyard was quiet and uneventful. I was so deeply in thought as my boots passed through the crinkled fallen leaves that had coagulated in small piles in the alleys, that I did not even have a conscious memory of having passed through the courtyard gate back into the square. It was nearly dark, and the merchants and customers they haggled with had all but gone. Quiet was prevalent as the wind rustled the few leaves that were still left on the ancient and barren trees that lined the streets. The night watchmen were lighting the oil streetlamps that dotted the sides of the wider streets of the city, occasionally leaving oily smeared handprints on the walls of the buildings the lamps were mounted on.

As I yanked myself out of that trance-like state, the hospital stood before me. Something was different; the lights had been darkened already. I quietly looked around the various rooms, trying not to disturb the patients resting there, but saw no sign of Drae or Dr. Beckett except for his medical kit and bag, which rested on the floor near the table he had been using to keep notes about the patients he had seen. Soiled bandages littered the floor in front of one patient, including a bunched-up handful of gauze that reeked of the stench of Ether. I was somewhat dismayed that no one had thought to tidy up before leaving.

After volunteering myself for the task, I promptly left the hospital, half expecting Drae to be in the tavern enjoying a pint of brew with the others. But as I crossed the square again, I found that she was not there, either. Trying to shrug off my concern, it seemed a logical assumption that she must have had some urgent business elsewhere and had been forced to drop Beckett off and leave quickly. No matter. There would be an opportunity to catch up with her another time. At that moment, it was time for me to finish that unfortunate business of asking my new friends to leave, then to try and put it behind me.

I knocked on Teyla's door first. The fire had made the room a quite comfortable temperature, and thus when she answered the door I noticed that she had removed her vest and jacket. Upon seeing me she silently stepped aside to allow me entry. Inside, Sheppard, McKay, and Ronon sat in front of the fire in a rough circle, looking up at me as I came in. I was curious as to why Teyla seemed to be sharing her room with them, which was inconsistent with her insistence that the males were simply her 'friends' and nothing more. It was possible that I had misjudged them again, but it felt like it would have been impolite to ask her about it, and so I held my tongue and got right to the point.

"I have news from the queen," I said regretfully. "She has conveyed to me that she does not feel a trade agreement is in our best interests, and has directed me to ask you to leave."

Sheppard immediately jumped to his feet. "You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid I am," I confirmed bluntly. "It is getting late. You are welcome to rest here for the night, but I'm afraid that I must insist that you leave tomorrow."

"You seem like a reasonable person." I knew what he was going to ask me, but I couldn't bear to tell them the whole blunt truth, preferring instead to leave the possibility of future relations open should the queen change ever her mind. "Did we do something to offend you? Why would your queen decide not to at least hear what we have to offer?"

"I don't know," I answered with partial honesty, at least. "But I was not offended by you. The queen would not explain further than to say it was not in our best interests. I do hope that there will other opportunities to trade in the future, though. Should the queen ever change her mind, would you still remain open to the possibility?"

"Sure," he said resignedly, with a heavy sigh. "Where's Carson?"

"Dr. Beckett?" I was confused. "Is he not here?"

Sheppard gave me a puzzled look. "He was with you."

"I left him with a trusted friend of mine when I went to see the queen," I explained, feeling my stomach wretch as my concern for him grew. "She was instructed to bring Dr. Beckett back here when he was finished with his work."

"Well, he hasn't been back," he insisted. "And we are not leaving this planet without him."

Inwardly, I felt like I was about to panic, but I took a deep breath and attempted to control myself as best I could. I did not leave them there without a warning. "Stay here, and do not leave the inn without an escort. I will find him."

-----

They had found her body just after 3:00 am. She had apparently been dragged out of the hospital and into a dark alley where her neck was methodically broken, and was then left to die. It was a meaningless and horrific death, unworthy of the proud soldier that she had been.

Someone whose identity I don't seem to recall through the fog of my grief had come to find me not long after she was found. When I was told about the manner in which she had been brutally murdered, I could not stop the tears from flowing freely down my face. Drae'Naya, my best friend, was dead. And for what, to protect the secret identities of those who had kidnapped Dr. Beckett?

It infuriated me beyond reason, and I was now more than ever determined to find out who was responsible. As exhausted as I was, I wanted to continue looking for Beckett, even after Lota threatened to slug me over the head if I didn't sit down and have something to eat. I had forgotten to eat dinner that night. God, that woman was just too protective of me sometimes. So there I was sitting in Lota's tavern, which was virtually empty at that hour with the exception of the most stubborn of sots in the city, and staring down a steaming bowl of breakfast porridge, thinking about any number of things I could have done to prevent it from happening.

Lota had finally given up trying to console me, and was finishing up with the elbow work required to clean up the mess that the regulars would always leave in their wake, as usual. The late-night drinkers that milled around until the last minute were fairly obedient when told to go home and go to bed, but I was not ready to go to sleep yet. Not by a long shot. When Lota began to close shop, she didn't have to bother asking me if I was going home. She understood and simply closed the tavern door quietly behind her, leaving me alone inside. The doors to the inn and tavern were never locked; there were always people renting out rooms.

For a while, I wondered what Carson must have been going through at that very moment. Those thoughts stabbed at my heart like knives. Unless he had been drugged, I could well have imagined that his night would be as sleepless as I knew my own would be.

If you were to ask him now about what happened that night, you would probably get no answer other than 'I don't remember much of it'. I did find out later, though, that the wad of gauze that had smelled of Ether, the one I had found earlier on the floor in the hospital, had been used on him. You, my dear attentive listeners, should take heart to know that it was probably a blessing that he does not remember. He was not so lucky later on, as you will find out for yourselves soon enough.

I did not desire to dwell on such negative thoughts any longer. I had to continue looking, and, at almost 4:00 in the morning, I strode purposefully and determinedly through the door of the tavern into the streets to continue searching. It wasn't until well into the next day that I collapsed through sheer exhaustion, and even then, I rested only for a few short hours before waking again. The queen was in need of my services, but for a different task this time.

And when I tell you of task that she wanted me to perform for her, I think you will be as shocked as I was.


	4. Fear and Doubt

A/N: Can you feel the angst yet? I can!

-----

When the rapping on the door echoing up from the bottom of the stairs would not cease, I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position. I had no recollection what time it was, or what time it had been when I had gone to bed, and was waking up in one of those confused states where it was difficult to remember anything from the night before. I had been that exhausted, and was still not quite feeling rested.

Dragging myself out of bed and putting on a robe over my night gown, I carefully made my way down the stairs from my bedroom to the door in the foyer. Upon opening the door, I was greeted by the sight of two unofficial messengers, both of whom I recognized as being employed on the staff of the queen. They seemed disconcerted with my disheveled appearance, but at that point I honestly didn't care what they thought. I just wanted them to go away so I could return to my bed.

One of them handed me another note that resembled the one I had been brought by the little girl the afternoon before, marked once again with the same authentic seal of the queen herself. I opened the letter and read it carefully; the messengers waited patiently. It seemed the queen was eager for my assistance on some kind of new project, and it seemed to be related somehow to the Ancient weapon that she used to protect our city. The letter certainly intrigued me, and the queen obviously knew just what she had to do in order to get my attention.

"Thank you," I said to them, crushing the letter into a ball and tossing it behind me, determined not to let this distraction keep me from my desire to go back to bed. "I'll go to see the queen about this matter as soon as I've had a chance to set some things in order."

But before I could hastily shut the door on them, the one who had handed me to note put her hand on the doorjamb, halting it in place. I gave her a genuinely fatigued glare.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," she stated politely. "But the queen has asked us to escort you to your office in the palace as quickly as possible. I'm afraid that I must insist that we wait here for you."

It figured. I just couldn't get a moments rest in, not when work assigned by the queen herself had to be done. I had been hoping to have a moment to stop by the inn to keep Teyla and Colonel Sheppard apprised of my efforts. Not that I had made much leeway in discovering the truth behind Carson's disappearance, but I felt that they deserved to be assured that I was doing everything I could.

I was already starting to become accustomed to referring to him by his first name. If not for the fact that someone had brutally murdered my best friend, I might have suspected that I was taking the matter of his disappearance too personally. A visit to the inn would just have to wait until after I had discovered the intentions behind the queen's new assignment for me.

Choosing to ignore the messengers further rather than allow anyone else to succumb to my already foul mood, I returned to my bedroom to change my attire. The two women at my door stood patiently in the foyer to wait for me, and not long later they were at my side as I made my way through the streets between the roomy two-story homes of the neighborhood I lived in.

The palace was relatively empty today, which was unusual. The courtyard and the adjoining rows of offices nearby were always bustling with activity, full of military and civil servants fulfilling orders and other duties associated with organizing the proper function of the city. But today those offices were barren and devoid of the noises of everyday life that I was accustomed to hearing echoing through halls.

I was about to turn into the hallway that led to the lab that I customarily worked in, but was turned away from it with a very rude nudge from the messengers. Where exactly they expected me to do my work, I had no clue. Being led through a series of corridors through the inner bowels of the palace, a part of it that I had always known was reserved strictly for the use of the queen herself, I was inconsiderately shoved into what appeared to be some kind of waiting room and was left there for some time.

About ten minutes later, I stood respectfully as the queen and several of her handmaids strode into the room from the door I had arrived in and, without even a glace in my direction, walked right past me and through a door on the opposite side of the room. But when I caught a glimpse of what lied beyond that door, my heart almost stopped in my chest. It was filled with gadgets and machinery the likes of which I had never before seen. The lighting was subdued, almost as if the fire that must have lit the strange box-shaped objects emanating the steady light on the ceiling were dying.

"Come inside, Cousin," she said, not bothering to turn around as she made her way to an oddly shaped chair in the center of the room. I was too awestruck by all that wondrous technology of the Ancients that lied before me, just waiting to be discovered, to properly answer her before she continued. "I summoned you here for a reason: You are the only woman of noble birth that I know of who has ever humbly admitted to having an interest in both science and medicine."

Closing my mouth that had been hanging agape for several seconds, I was more than honored to oblige whatever her need was, my lack of sleep instantly forgotten. "Yes, Your Highness, I will admit to it."

"Good." She whispered into the ear of one of the handmaidens who promptly ran off to do her bidding, then sat down in the chair, which began to glow ominously as she sat back and manipulated its controls. A smooth map-like representation of the palace appeared before this chair, and I watched, completely spellbound, as three pale-green dots surrounded by white dots blinked on the map before me. "I am in need of someone with your talents, Ky. The same blood flows in your veins as in mine. You see those two dots in the center? They are representations of you and me. There are no others like us that live in the city."

"But," I began tentatively, "if we are represented by those green dots, how is it that we are the only two? This map seems to show a third, and it is located here in the palace."

"You are observant," she commented softly, her voice tinged with surprise. It was at that moment that several well-armed guards dragged a prisoner through the door and forced him to his knees. He had been stripped practically naked right down to his underclothes, with his hands bound tightly and securely behind him, and must also have been gagged under the sack that had been placed over his head. The queen's handmaidens straightened their liege's gown as she rose from the chair, its light going dark, and the map which had been showing the third green dot to be moving just a moment ago blinked away into nothingness.

"This male somehow has the same ability to activate these machines that you and I do," she explained warily, not giving the poor man even a moment's consideration. "I want you to find out how and why."

I was somewhat appalled by the harsh treatment he had been given; it was the reason that I never chose to own any men, which had too often singled me out to take the brunt of cruel comments and jokes. People who knew me understood that there was only so much I would tolerate before I would walk out, but I had never before witnessed the queen mistreat her slaves like this, nor had I ever had access to such technology before. I could only presume that he had been purchased for the express purpose of being dissected and studied in such a manner, and gauging by the way he shivered in the grip of the guards, he could have been hypothermic or fully aware of this fact, or both.

I didn't think I could bring myself to kill him, regardless of whether I might have recognized his face from the slave trader's market or not. When the guards dragged him to the makeshift cot that was to be used during the experimentation and strapped him down to it, he struggled against them and whimpered with fear. I tried to fortify him against his rising panic with a hushed whisper of assurance that I would not harm him, but it did not seem to help. As I put on a pair of gloves and readied a syringe to draw a sample of blood from his veins, I slipped the sack off of his head, intending to look him directly in the eye.

The syringe shattered on the floor where I dropped it, echoing throughout the room with a distinctly soft crash. I willed myself to stay perfectly steady and seemingly unemotional as I looked into the face of a wide-eyed and terrified Dr. Carson Beckett. A strange pounding began to rise in my ears as I swallowed back the taste of bile in my throat.

"Is something wrong?" the queen asked impatiently, watching intently and waiting for me to begin.

"This is one of the off-worlders," I gasped with shock as I turned to face her, trying to hide the anger rising within me.

But the queen was unstirred by my look of shock and surprise. "Yes, he is. What of it?"

"I am certain that his comrades would consider his kidnapping an act of war, Your Highness." It took every bit of willpower I had to speak my words evenly and without inflection.

"I have already arranged for a rogue band of slave-traders to be implicated in his kidnapping and then executed," she said impassively, without a hint of emotion or remorse. "All you need to do is tell his previous owner that we are still investigating where and to whom he was sold off."

I'd had no idea just how corrupt the queen had become over all the time she had ruled our city, but the manner in which she casually sentenced this stranger, a kind and caring visitor to our world that had generously offered his skills to our service, to a short life of experimentation or servitude was the proof of her corruption that I had dreaded. At that point, a vile choice had been set before me; a choice that I instantly knew would not let me through this horrific situation unscathed. Would I sacrifice poor Carson to a life of servitude at best, or a painful death at worst, in order to save my city and its queen from her own ruthless nature? Or would I choose to help him, thereby sacrificing my life and my family?

It was a long moment before I found myself able to speak again. It was during that moment that I made my choice and mentally prepared myself for the consequences of it. I am sure that the queen had been looking for that resigned look from me, and she was in fact quite pleased to see it as I retrieved another syringe and did not hesitate in taking a sample of blood this time. "Yes, Highness; I'll see to it immediately."

Carson looked up at me pleadingly with those thoughtful slate-blue eyes that I had come to know so well, the gag preventing him from speaking with words, but I was forced to ignore him. He could not have known how hard that was for me to do.


	5. Harsh Requests

A/N: Carson's in some serious trouble, people. I just couldn't resist the urge to whump him utterly in this chapter, and he's going to be in a lot more trouble in chapter 6. Thanks go to Alpha Pegasi, too, for giving me an idea to 'whip' him into shape. ;) And as always, thanks to my beta, Miyth, for being so supportive!

-----

He watched me intently the entire time he had been strapped down on that cot. Not only did I feel bad about frightening him, but I was hardly able to concentrate on my work. The crude microscope that I had been using to study the blood samples had revealed nothing to me, nor had any of the chemical analyses that I'd run. Rubbing my temples in a futile attempt to drive away the tension headache that had plagued me the last few hours, I sat back in my chair and looked over at him. It occurred to me then that, while we did not understand the process of activating the Ancient technology, his people might understand it better.

The queen was a very impatient person who always required immediate answers, and I knew that neither he nor I would be permitted to leave the lab until I had discovered something of value to report to her. Rising to my feet, I walked over and stood at his side, steeling myself against a pang of guilt as he shrank back as far as his restraints allowed. Terror was etched on his face.

Kneeling down beside him, I whispered softly after slipping the gag down and off his mouth. "The queen won't let you go until I find out what it is that is so special about us. You do know of this ability I'm referring to, do you not?"

He remained steadfastly silent.

My frustration was nagging at me. I held up an odd device in my hand, one that I had found in a lab of the Ancient outpost, and he watched with mild surprise as it came to life in my hand. "How, Carson? Why is it that the queen and I have this ability when no one else does? If you tell me, you won't have to stay strapped to that cot any longer."

His eyes darted for a few moments while he considered what I said, before a look of resignation washed over his gentle features. "It's because of a gene."

"A gene," I repeated, not familiar with the term. "What is it?"

"It's a marker in your cells," he tried to explain.

"I saw no such marker in the cells of your blood under my microscope," I stated firmly.

"The gene is encoded in our DNA, in the nucleus of our cells," he insisted fervently. He absolutely did not want to be strapped down to that cot any more. "You can't see DNA under a microscope. All of the Ancients' technology is designed to recognize and work only for the people that have this gene."

His gaze faltered when he realized that I still did not understand. Instead, his eyes shifted to something behind me, and as I turned to see what he was looking at, the queen took a few steps forward. She had apparently been watching, and had also likely witnessed the entire conversation. I stepped back, embarrassed.

"You are a foolish male," the queen spat with disgust. "I don't know why Ky still seems to like you, especially after such a pitiful attempt to lie to her."

Carson began to shiver uncontrollably as the queen motioned for the guards to remove him from the cot, his accent becoming thicker and more difficult to understand through his stress. "It was'nae a lie! I found it doin' the same research me'self!"

"Liar," the queen hissed. "You dare to insult my intelligence? Men do not have the patience to be capable of such tasks."

"Are ye daft, woman?" Carson was frustrated and astonished, and it made him brazen. "I'm a doctor! I do research like that all the time!"

The queen seethed with anger.

He was forcefully dragged over to a support beam in the middle of the room and his hands were bound around it, placing him in an undignified position. His gag was replaced, and everyone else in the room took a step back. I watched helplessly as one of the guards pulled out a whip that had been looped on her belt and unwound it behind him.

"I tolerate neither disobedience nor lies from obstinate men like you, especially when they are my prisoners," she said, giving the guard holding the whip a curt nod of approval. "The punishment is ten lashes."

With a flinch each time the whip was drawn back, I did not dare to close my eyes against the spatters of blood that flew in every direction with each strike. By the sixth strike, Carson had fallen to his knees, only to be hauled back up to his feet by the other guards. I could see his eyes clenched tightly shut, and could see the rippling of muscles on the sides of his face as he ground his teeth together on the gag. It was horrifying.

When all was said and done, the guards dragged his barely conscious form toward the door, intending to return him to his cell. I followed closely behind, never before having felt so grateful to be out of the queen's presence. I was still engrossed in my thoughts when suddenly, Carson jumped up to his feet, startling the two guards that were dragging him. With a quick jerk, he pulled himself free of their grasp, lashing out with his feet and knees before they could react, then head-butted the third.

I was too shocked to react at first, but that faded quickly as he began to flee the scene and was about to disappear from of my field of view. Rushing forward in an effort to keep up, I was hopeful that he'd actually be able to make an escape on his own, but those hopes were dashed away when I saw _her _suddenly appear in his path. My heart sunk as she shoved him, causing him to fell backward; and because his hands were again bound behind him, he was unable to catch himself, landing hard on the floor. He did manage to prop himself up against the wall, though.

Her name was unknown to me at the time, but I had later discovered that her name was Pel'Ara. She had been born into one of the poorer families that lived in the city, as I had already noticed by the manner in which she spoke. Her life had been harsh, and the fact was made that much more obvious from her solid and imposingly heavy-built body as well as from the jagged scars on her hands, arms, and legs. If she hadn't been such a cruel person, I might have pitied her, and with just a simple and kindly smile, she would have been immensely beautiful despite the nasty scars. But she stood over Carson with an eerily impassive expression on her face, looking down at him as if he were a piece of meat.

"Where do ya think yer goin', Pretty Boy?" she asked maliciously.

When I appeared beside them, I was quite concerned for Carson's well-being. Pel didn't look up as she spoke, keeping her eyes squarely transfixed on her prisoner. "Lose something?"

"Yes, thank you," I said, trying to make my words sound appreciative. "He just got away for a second."

"How careless," she whispered softly, reaching out a hand to run it through Carson's hair. He flinched at her touch. "Sometimes these prisoners just… slip through your fingers, don't they?"

"Leave him alone," I demanded coldly.

"Aw," she said with feigned disappointment, dragging Carson up to his feet with a feat of strength I have rarely seen a woman possess. "What's the matter? Ya don't like it when I touch him?"

"I am responsible for this prisoner, not you," I stated matter-of-factly, staying absolutely still in an effort to suppress my trembling. "And unless you intend to challenge my authority, you _will_ leave him alone."

"Yes, Ma'am," she said softly, her words dripping with contempt and over-annunciating each word, "of course not, Ma'am."

I met her shifty eyes for a long moment, waiting for her to back down.

She gave me a wicked smile first, gripping Carson firmly by his neck. "Why don't I give ya a hand and escort this prisoner back to his cell?"

"Lead the way," I said feebly, allowing her to drag him past me toward the adjoining area where the prison cells were obviously located.

She nonchalantly tossed him inside and closed the heavy steel door, then took a seat in a chair in the corner to stand watch over that section of the prison. Leaning back casually, she gave me a quizzical look.

"You're still here?" she asked, sounding bored already.

I was astonished that _she _of all people had been placed on guard duty that night. "I thought Chuli'Ana was on the duty roster tonight."

"Well, sorry to disappoint ya, but she's sick," Pel sneered in response. "I got a double shift tonight because of her. But don't worry; I'll keep a very close eye on yer little friend here while you're gone."

The depraved grin she gave me next thoroughly terrified me, but there was nothing I could do about it. I left the cell block very quickly, determined to make the plan that was forming in my mind a reality tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow. I could not leave him like that for another night, and I knew that I had to get him out of there before something happened to him that was even more horrible than the lashing I had just witnessed.

I stopped by my lab to grab a sheet of paper, wrote a short note on it, then folded it carefully and placed it in my pocket. The inn was my next destination. Colonel Sheppard had to be warned.

-----

When I finally got back to the inn, it was well into the afternoon, and Colonel Sheppard was incensed. Lota was there, too. She had been trying to placate the visitors with an assurance that I would appear soon. She sighed with relief as I finally made my way inside to face the visitors' wrath.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked firmly. "The guards refused to allow us to go out and look for Carson! And since diplomacy is pretty much out the window at this point, perhaps you'll understand when I say that I've just about had it up to here with the way men are treated around here!"

I did my best to keep my face unemotional and blank upon hearing him make his grievances known. "I've been occupied with urgent business for the queen."

"Urgent business?" he mocked. Teyla tried to put a hand on his arm in an effort to remind him to restrain his temper, but he yanked it away angrily. "Our friend has been missing for over a day now, and you've done nothing!"

Lota gave him a hard glare, seemingly ready to slap him. "She was out looking for your friend all night last night and most of the morning, you ungrateful dolt!"

I did my best to contain my anger, but upon hearing his livid words, it might have seeped through into my voice when I spoke. "He is gone. There is nothing more I can do."

Sheppard wasn't prepared to accept this. Not by a long shot. He took a deep breath to calm his haggard breathing, but said nothing more.

I extended my hand in the custom of their greeting, hoping to whatever deity I might soon choose to believe in that the guards had not seen the note that I had palmed. "You must leave immediately. The queen will no longer tolerate any more delay."

He looked directly at me, unblinking, but could not have missed it in his peripheral vision. Warily, he reached out and grasped my outstretched hand, expertly transferring the note into his own. "Please give me a moment to consult with my friends."

I took a moment to sigh with relief, and luckily it went unnoticed by the guards. Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla, and McKay huddled in the corner together, talking in whispers. They had to be reading the note. I recalled the words written on it in my mind:

_Carson is being held prisoner in the palace. I have a plan to free him. But if I fail, you must return with help._

It would have been obvious then that the story they had been told, the one about a rogue band of slave traders, had been concocted. A moment later, their huddle was broken and Sheppard turned to face me once again.

"Alright," he sneered impatiently. "We'll go. But I will only allow it so long as I have your personal assurance that the search for Carson will be continuing."

"You have it," I assured him, giving him a discreet nod. "Perhaps you will return some day."

"One day, perhaps," he answered with a discreet nod of his own.

And then they were gone, Lota staying behind to speak with me. One day wouldn't normally have been a lot of time to prepare and plan to break someone out of the palace prisons, but I had already determined that I would do it tonight. Carson was waiting for me.


	6. Cold Encounter

A/N: Some readers may find this chapter quite disconcerting, but I don't think it crosses the realm of T into M quite yet. Mega-whumpage of Carson should end with this chapter, sorry. But now it's on with the comfort portion of H/C! Alpha Pegasi, it's in your hands to outdo me with chapter 11 of "Adrift" now, but I think with this one I just might have taken away your crown. :)

WARNING: This chapter may be DISTURBING for some readers. If you are disturbed by almost-but-not-quite-rape scenes, do yourself a favor and don't read the rest of this.

-----

Lota knew me well enough to know that I was up to something. Being a innkeeper, she had one of those well-practiced suspicious looks that could put anyone in a position to tell her whatever she wanted to know. But I wasn't prepared to talk to her of my plan in the wide-open hallways of the tavern and inn where someone might hear me. So I motioned her to follow me into the visitors' recently vacated room, where she busied herself with changing the bedsheets for the next customer who would use the room.

"I may need a favor from you, my friend," I began hesitantly. "But it could put you in a dangerous position."

"Name it, and it's yours," she said without stopping.

I shifted uncomfortably. "Their friend, the one who went missing, is being held prisoner in the palace."

She halted curiously, looking up at me with a perplexed expression. "What favor are you asking of me?"

"I have a plan," I explained softly, leaning in closer for her to hear me better. "I have had access to the plans of the palace, and I know of a secret entrance that leads in not far from the prisons. I will rescue him myself, but we will need somewhere to hide once the palace guard discovers that he is missing. His friends _will_ be coming back for him."

She snickered with amusement. "You? You're going to go in there and rescue him all by yourself? Well, if you manage to make it back, I'll be impressed. But I might have a safe place in the cellar to stow you and your friend in until the guards have stopped looking for you."

It was my turn to give her a perplexed look. "You still have spaces for contraband in your cellars? I thought you gave up smuggling when queen's soldiers found your stash last year."

"Hey," she said with mock disappointment and a grin. "Are you planning to turn me in, or are you going to let me help you out?"

I could not help but smile. "Thank you, Lota. I owe you one."

I turned and left quickly, leaving her smiling behind me as she returned to her work.

-----

Finding the latch in the wall in all that darkness had been a trivial matter; it was finding the entrance in the first place that had been tricky. I suppose it had been designed into the palace as an emergency escape route for the queen, should she ever be forced to quickly abandon the Ancient outpost. I had found it by accident, actually. I was fairly sure that the queen and I were the only people alive who knew about it, surely since the architect of the palace had been executed for treason some time ago. I had not been a part of her council yet, and thus I am unsure of the evidence that had been presented, but it was not odd that no one had ever questioned the queen's authority again after that day.

Pushing the hidden door back into place behind me, I slipped through the shadows thrown by torches in the doorways. The hallways around me were lined with numerous doors set deeply into the stone walls, with corridors in each direction leading to a separate area of the palace. I chose the hallway to the right, which if I remembered correctly, led directly to the prisons.

As I approached the cell block that contained Carson's prison, I heard hushed voices within. It was open, and as I peered around the corner cautiously, I could see two people in the cell with him. Poor Carson was pale as a sheet, and had been bound again at the wrists and ankles, with a gag placed once more over his mouth. His wrist bindings had been attached to a rope that had been tied off above his head, leaving him uncomfortably supported with his arms tautly stretched out above his head.

I slipped into the shadow of a closer door and waited for an opportunity to present itself. But the women inside, one of which was Pel'Ara, seemed to be talking about him. It made my stomach twist with anger as I realized that the other woman was a noblewoman that I had never met before, and she obviously came to examine Carson as if he were merchandise. I could hear their voices much more clearly from the doorway I watched them from.

"Do you think he'll survive the queen's experimentation?" the noblewoman asked tentatively, rubbing her chin contemplatively. "I'd hate to think I'd just be wasting my money on an injured slave who could die before I even have a chance to put him to work."

"No need to put any money down for him right now," Pel stated flatly, giving Carson a slap on the abdomen, to which he could only grunt in response. "He appears to be from good stock, and I don't think Ky has the stomach to kill him with her experimentation."

"Hmm," the noblewoman mumbled, obviously unsure of her potential purchase. "I don't know. Are you even sure that he is capable of being trained? He's quite different from the local men, especially the color of his eyes, but he seems somewhat headstrong to me."

"I wouldn't worry about that," she assured her with a cruel smile, then reached behind Carson and yanked back his head by a handful of hair. He squirmed futilely in her grip, biting against the gag and twisting his wrists in the rough ropes that bound him. "Sometimes they just need an incentive to be obedient."

The noblewoman smiled eagerly. "Is he soft?"

"Feel for yourself," Pel responded without a hint of compassion, holding him still while the other woman ran her hands across Carson's chest. He whimpered softly under the gag at her touch, continuing to twist his wrists against the scratchy rope until a few drops of blood began to stain it. I clenched my fingers into fists with anger, swearing to myself that I would make them pay for their cruelty. But what I saw next just about sent me over the edge of insanity.

"It seems too good to be true," the client said thoughtfully. "There isn't a chance that his previous owner might come to me seeking her property back, is there?"

The guard assuaged her fear with a smug smile. "I was told that his friends have already left; it was sometime this afternoon. I can't imagine that they don't believe he's dead."

Carson's hardened expression now began to betray some of his anxiety, but the noblewoman seemed quite satisfied for the moment. "Have you had a chance find out how pliable he is?"

Pel offered Carson that same depraved smile, the one that terrified me beyond all reason, and transfixed her eyes on his. "Not yet, but perhaps I should find out right now. I still have four and a half hours before the end of my shift."

"Sometimes I think I should have been a prison guard instead of a politician," the noblewoman said with a chuckle. "You will let me know how he was when you're done, won't you?"

Her eyes had not left Carson's. "Absolutely, Ma'am. You'll be the first to know."

She waited for a moment before leaving, watching Carson desperately try to wriggle himself free of the ropes as Pel stepped closer to him, but eventually decided to leave them to their privacy. I waited impatiently to make my move as the noble woman strode away with nerve-wracking slowness, leaving the door open a crack behind her, and thankfully did not see me trembling in the shadows.

Until the woman was well out of earshot, I watched in horror as Pel first touched Carson's face and lips. He could do no more than simply turn his head away from her, but that movement left his neck undefended. She pressed herself against him, running her hands along his back and neck, using her lips to give attention to his ear. He whimpered again through the gag and began to tremble, his face contorting with the frustrating of not being able to make her stop. As one of her hands slowly slid down his chest and abdomen, and was about to slip under the waistband of his underclothes, I could wait no longer.

I gripped the nearest torch securely in my hand and thrust through the door. Pel was unable to extricate herself from Carson in time to stop me from swinging the torch at her head. It impacted with a loud and satisfying crack, and she fell to the floor, unmoving. Carson's breathing was haggard and erratic as I reached out to him comfortingly, but he was still terrified and shied away from me. My heart jumped up into my throat with the feeling of guilt at being unable to come to his rescue before Pel had already begun to violate him.

Cutting the rope securing his arms above him, I first unbound his ankles, followed by his wrists before untying the gag from around his mouth. He was ice cold to the touch and still trembling, but found the courage to look up at me. When he attempted to speak a word of thanks, I placed my fingers over his lips and shushed him softly. Sounds tended to echo and carry through the stone-built hallways, and the last thing I wanted was to find myself a prisoner in the cell next to his.

He allowed me to help him to his feet, and after I shut the door to the cell block, we staggered together out into the hallway. I was not sure of the time, but I began to suspect that it was becoming alarmingly close to the time that the guard shift was supposed to change as we heard voices and footsteps echoing through the hallways around us. About to panic, I looked around for a place to hide, and suddenly spied a maintenance closet on the other side of the corridor. It was a good thing, too, because the shadows cast by the torches wouldn't hide both of us.

Upon opening the door, I shoved Carson into the far corner and closed it behind us as softly as I could. It would probably be half an hour before the guards walking about outside had all found their posts, and so I simply sat down next to Carson and put as much of myself as I could between him and the warmth-leeching stone. What worried me most was that I had not seen him shivering. It was quite chilly in the palace, nearly as cold as the temperature outside, and the lack of shivering was a telltale sign of severe hypothermia.

"I'm c-cold," he whispered softly.

I looked around in the closet, but did not see anything but the thin linen sheets assigned to prisoners who were sometimes allowed to sleep on cots. I grabbed one and wrapped it around him, then removed my button-down sweater. I was about to slip it over his shoulders when he limply leaned over against me. Of course, my medical studies reminded me, body heat was usually the best way to warm someone who was hypothermic. So I simply wrapped my arms around him gently, gasping with the shock; it was like hugging a block of ice.

Footsteps sounded in the corridor and were approaching quickly. Someone was just outside the door. My breath became ragged, and I held Carson close to me as the latch was lifted. I could not let everything that I worked so hard for end like this!


	7. Follow Me, Tenderly

Carson pulled the edge of the sheet over my head and I brought my knees up to my chest, scrunching myself into a ball and making myself as small as I possibly could. Neither of us dared to breathe more than the shallowest of breaths or move the slightest bit. Dim light from a torch flooded the tiny closet, and we waited intently, listening to each movement of the person who had intruded on our hiding place.

It was apparently just an unsuspecting guard retrieving a few folded sheets and a couple of extra pairs of manacles and chain. We could hear the clinking of her armor and the chains she carried as she moved. Her movements were fluid and uninterrupted; she did not seem to have noticed us. An agonizing minute later, the guard left the closet and left us to let out a long breath as the danger passed us by.

Listening intently for several more minutes, I still did not dare to move for fear of being heard, but eventually forced myself to calm down. The changing of the guard was going smoothly, and if my attack on Pel had been noticed, the whistles and tolling bells of the palace's signaling system would have been sounded. It became sublimely obvious then how often that cruel woman must have accustomed herself to slipping past the other guards to have her way with the prisoners. I was sickened at the thought of how many other men being held prisoner in the palace had likely fallen victim to her abuse.

Forcing those thoughts and the resultant anger from my mind wasn't an easy task. I consoled myself by drawing Carson close to me, and I felt better knowing that I had done the best I could for him at least. As circulation began to return to his extremities with the warmth that was returning to him, he shivered vigorously. I gripped him more tightly and he huddled in close, rubbing his bare arms in a half-hearted attempt to warm himself more quickly, but I knew that it was more likely that the sensation of Pel's touch still haunted him.

I sat with him silently like that for a half an hour before I was fairly confident that the guards that had been wandering the corridors had all found their posts. Each shift was about four hours. It was designed so that rotation between shifts would keep the guards from becoming overly fatigued by being stuck at a particular position for an extended length of time. I had contributed to that shift in protocol myself. But now I almost wished I hadn't, because it would have made it easier to sneak Carson out.

The color in his face had slowly been returning, and as I helped him up, he seemed stronger than he had been before. I ran through a myriad of possibilities in my head to sneak him to the inn, which was of course located in the center of the city, and as I looked about the closet, an idea came to me. Carson would not be happy about it, though. I grabbed a pair of manacles and stuffed them into my pockets as quietly as I could, and then slowly unlatched the door.

The corridor was empty, and as I listened carefully in either direction, I could hear no one stirring. Finding my way through the corridors was much easier this time, and I knew exactly where the small indentation for the hidden passageway was located. Carson seemed surprised that we had made it this far, but said nothing to endanger us.

A rush of cold air bit at the bare skin on my arms as I opened the last hidden exit between us and our freedom. The temperature must have dropped more than I had thought. We were outside the walls of the palace, surrounded by the darkness of night and the trees of the forests that grew in clusters around the city. I glanced back at Carson and gave him a look of concern. He had begun to shiver again, and the sweater that I had lent him wasn't very helpful any more.

I reluctantly pulled the manacles from my pockets. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I have to put these on you."

If he could not see them in the darkness, he could hear the manacles clinking as I drew them from my pockets. He knew what they were, and shrank away from them and me fearfully.

"I know, Carson," I said, dropping them onto the ground and stepping closer to comfort him. "I can't take you to my home; it is the first place they'd look for you. I really wish that it didn't have to come to this, but if anyone sees you with me, your life could be put in danger again. I promise you, so long as there's still breath in me, I won't let them take you back there."

He calmed a bit, and then looked at me again with those pleading eyes. "Then why are you going to chain me?"

"If someone sees you, they'll think you're a slave," I explained simply. "But I'll have to blindfold and gag you so that you won't be recognized."

He cringed at the prospect of having to bear that humiliation again, but said no more about it, simply resigning himself to the fact that there was no other way to escape unseen. I laid an assuring hand on his shoulder and embraced his chilled face between my palms.

"Trust me," I promised him. "I'll get you back to your people."

He said nothing for a long moment as I placed the manacles on his wrists and ripped a few scraps of cloth from the sheet that was now draped around his waist. I used one scrap to blindfold him and hesitated a second before gagging him with the second. It seemed like he wanted to say something. But his lips remained tightly shut, and so I placed the strip of cloth over his mouth and said nothing more.

Taking back my sweater, I placed it over my own shoulders once again and grasped the chains of his manacles to lead him. As we walked into the dim streets of the city, his shivering became more and more pronounced, and it took all the willpower I had to ignore it. One child had come out onto the porch of his home to fetch firewood for his mother, and I sighed with relief as he thoughtfully ignored us as we walked past. An older woman with the look of someone who gossiped much with her neighbors also spied us on our way to the inn, but it wasn't uncommon to see a new slave being led through the streets to someone's home, especially when time passed and it grew closer to the winter months.

But no one paid us any mind. I was simply a noblewoman with her slave to them, minding our own business and making our way to an enjoyable night of feasting and drinking at the tavern. We reached the secluded back entrance to the inn unmolested, and I reached out for the door. My fingers had just grazed the surface of the knob, when the door was thrust open and a crazy blonde woman brandishing a broomstick towered over me threateningly. I jumped back in surprise, nearly knocking Carson onto his backside, and watched apprehensively as the broom was slowly lowered.

"Where the _hell _have you been?" Lota whispered insistently, pointing a grimy finger at my chest. "I was worried sick! I expected you to be back here with your friend more than half an hour ago."

"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed apologetically. "We had to hide for a while."

"Shhhhh!" She placed a finger over her lips and spoke with a hushed voice. "Now get inside, both of you, before you catch an illness borne of the devil herself."

I dragged Carson inside the welcoming atmosphere of the tavern and inn, where warmth seemed to be radiating from fires strategically placed in the corner of each room. With a smooth and practiced motion, Lota led us to a cellar door with an entrance well-hidden beneath a plush carpet. The study area above it was dark and rarely used by the travelers and drunken alcoholics that most frequented the inn, providing less of a chance for them to be observed or heard in the hidden space. Lota had already prepared for us as best she could, and had set up two cots with warm bedding, several candles with the fire alight in the corner, and food and water also rested on a simple table.

Upon seeing the decrepit state of my friend, she frowned understandingly and brought me a salve for his wounds before closing up the cellar door behind us and re-covering it with the rug. I led Carson to one of the cots and quietly directed him to sit. His shivering continued unhindered until I wrapped a warm blanket around his shoulders. Removing the gag first, I reached for the blindfold next. Upon its removal, he asked a question that had apparently been bothering him for some time.

"Are they really gone?" he whispered softly. "That guard… she said that my friends were already gone, and that they thought I was dead."

"Yes, they left." I didn't quite realize how impacted he had been by that, and my hands fell as I tried to word my response in a way that should give him some hope. "But I met with Sheppard before I came to rescue you, and I gave him a note telling him that you were being held in the palace. I arranged to give them an opportunity to leave peacefully, and they left me with the promise that they would return with help tomorrow. So, you see, it wasn't just on a whim that I saved you from that place."

The concerned look in his eyes softened immeasurably, and I smiled with relief before continuing to remove his manacles. I had them off him in just a minute, and it was then that I noticed how horrible the bruises and cuts around his wrists were as I held his hands in mine. Opening the jar of salve, I dipped a bit of cloth into it and dabbed carefully at his wounds. It must have stung dreadfully, and he did flinch now and then, but did not utter a sound.

When I had finished with his wrists, I looked up into his face, which was now smooth and unmarred from the worries that had plagued him just an hour ago and no longer fraught with terror. His hand found my face and pushed aside a stray lock of dark brown hair that had fallen over my eyes. I don't think I had ever before been so tempted to passionately kiss a man. It felt so strange and exciting, something I had never felt before, and I desperately wanted him. But I held back for the sake of his well-being, and instead stood up and moved behind him.

Gently urging him to lie down on the cot, I then cleaned and dabbed salve at the ugly gashes that crisscrossed his back. It seemed certain to hurt even more than his wrists, but still he remained silent, merely flinching occasionally as the dabbing motion touched a tender spot. I marveled at his strength of character as I spied additional bruises dotted in patterns along his ribs, legs, and arms. It was difficult to imagine the courage it must have taken from him to withstand this punishment, courage that I doubted I myself would have had in such a situation.

Carson was fast asleep by the time I was done. The dark, horrid circles under his eyes were harshly outlined even in the dim candlelight. Pulling another warm blanket over his prostrate form, and careful not to disturb the wounds on his back, I went to the other cot and practically collapsed onto it in exhaustion. I didn't even bother to draw up the blankets over myself before I was lulled by the crackle of the fire into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	8. A Kiss to Remember Me By

A/N: This chapter is slightly shorter than the rest, but I promise I'll make it up to you by writing chapter 9 that much sooner. :) And here it comes, people! The big shippy moment you've been waiting for! Prepare to avert your eyes...

-----

It was nearly mid-day when I finally woke. A blanket had been drawn up over my shoulders, and I had no memory of having done it myself. My memory was hazy, and it took me a few moments to realize that I was not in my own bed, but lying on a cot in the cellar of Lota's tavern. As I looked around, trying to get my bearings, Carson was standing in the opposite corner, buttoning up a slightly rumpled linen shirt. Lota must have given him some clothing while I was asleep, and I found myself smiling appreciatively at the sight of him, even though he was now fully clothed. I had slept soundly knowing that he had been resting peacefully there in that cot next to me.

"In just a few hours, you'll be safe among your friends and family again," I said softly. Of course, I was happy that he had escaped and was going home, but I wasn't sure that I was ready to accept yet that we would be parting ways so soon. I had never felt this way about a man before, and couldn't put into words why it felt so natural to be with him. The rest of my words fell silent on my lips as I found myself unable to speak again. Despite my desire to say more, my face remained impassive and my emotions hidden.

"Aye," he said as he moved to sit down next to me. "And I'm very grateful for all the help you've given me. But I was wondering..."

I gave him a quizzical look.

"What are you going to do once my friends come for me?" he asked with a somber expression.

I stared down at my hands and pondered his question for a long moment before I responded. The outlook wasn't encouraging. "I don't really know. I'm certain that I'll eventually be caught for helping you escape, and once I am, I expect the queen will have me executed for treason."

Carson was staring at me grimly, but his gaze faltered. "I'm sorry, Ky. This is your home, and it's my fault that you're going to suffer for rescuing me."

"No," I said firmly, putting my hand on his arm. "It's not your fault."

"Allowing yourself to be executed isn't the only option you have, though," he said as he gently took my hand from his arm and placed it between his own hands, pausing dramatically between sentences. "I could take you home to Atlantis with me."

"Why would you do that for me?" I looked away, knowing that I was becoming overly emotional, but I could not help but be afraid of leaving the only home I had ever known my entire life. "I was going to do my duty and experiment on you, just as the queen had asked of me."

"But you didn't." Carson seemed somewhat surprised by my admission. "Why break me out of the prison, then? What stopped you from going through with it?"

"I didn't go through with it because my closest friend was murdered for that research." I felt the threat of tears starting to burn my eyes, and I took a deep breath before continuing, too ashamed to bring myself to look at him still. "But I broke you out of the prison for a different reason."

"What reason?" he asked softly. His expression hardened with doubt, and I could feel his eyes on me intently, as if he were gazing right through me.

The tears slid unbidden down my face despite my efforts to hold them back, and the calm and collected bearing that usually came to me so easily slipped away like water between my fingers. "I did it because I care about you. I couldn't bear to see you suffer a horrible and meaningless death in that place."

The profound meaning of my words hung for several moments like a mist in the silent stillness of the room before I felt his fingertips wiping away the wetness from my cheeks. His hands brought my face toward his, and before I could say more, his lips were on mine. Each breath came like a ragged gasp as I was encompassed in his arms.

The slaves of women on my world rarely desired to be tender or affectionate with their masters, but I found myself utterly enthralled by each touch and gentle caress I was given. This man did not belong to me, and yet I was drawn to him like no other. A feeling of contentment the likes of which I have never before experienced washed over me at that moment. Savoring the sweetness of our proximity, I breathed in the aroma of his scent. Despite not having had an opportunity to bathe or wash the remaining traces of spent salve away from his healing wounds, the clothing he wore was clean and he did not reek of the foul treatment he had been forced to endure during his captivity.

"Ky," he began as a shadow crossed his delicate features, and for a moment I felt a gap form between us. "What will the queen do when my friends return for me in force?"

"She is an arrogant woman," I answered, considering his question carefully. "But if she was worried about war between our people, she would not have kidnapped you. I do not believe she will permit your friends to enter the city to look for you."

Carson lowered his eyes. "If they force their way into the city, it could start a bloody battle."

"No, it wouldn't," I corrected him pensively. "The queen would only have to set the Blessing of the Ancients against them, and they will all die in its fires."

"What do you mean?" he asked anxiously, his steely gaze returning to my eyes.

"The structure beneath the palace was built by the Ancient Ancestors," I explained solemnly, realizing that he had only seen the laboratory. "All the queen has to do is sit in the fiery chair in the center of the largest room, and her will is done."

Jumping immediately to his feet, he scrambled to find the shackles I had removed from his wrists the night before. When he finally found them, he yanked me up off the cot and rushed toward the door leading up to the study.

"Carson, what are you doing?" I was confounded. "We shouldn't leave right now. Your friends aren't here yet."

"If the queen is going to use the Ancient weapon against my friends, I have to do something to stop it." He was too insistent for me to deter him. "All you have to do is get me into the palace, and I'll be able to disable the weapon system myself."

"You can't!" I begged. "The city will be defenseless against the wraith!"

"Don't worry," he assured me, placing a comforting hand on my arm. "It won't be permanent, I promise."

Unlatching the cellar door turned out to be a complicated task for him, and so I reluctantly stepped up to assist him. My common sense told me it would be a big mistake to risk going back into the palace, but if needless bloodshed to either of our peoples was to be avoided, there was no other choice. The fiery Ancient weapon would certainly annihilate them if we did not act.

Upon opening the door, Lota was quick to rush over, ready to admonish me for my carelessness. She had been tending to the early customers in the tavern and, upon hearing the creaking sound the trap door had caused, she knew that it would be extremely bad if we were seen. But I held up my hand in resignation to quiet her before she had a chance to say anything.

"Thank you for everything, Lota, but we must leave," I told her softly.

"The palace guard was here barely an hour ago asking about you two," she whispered with an irate voice. "Do you know how much trouble I'll be in if you're caught here?"

I sighed sympathetically. "I know. I'm sorry."

She gave me one of those motherly glares, well-practiced to set my heart at ease. "Is there somewhere else you think you'd be safer than here?"

"Please, we must get to the palace," Carson whispered insistently.

Her eyes opened wide with shock. "You're crazy!"

"Lota, we don't have time to explain," I said desperately. "It's very important!"

With a cold, hard look that promised death on him if I was hurt in this endeavor, she reluctantly turned and stepped softly over to a closet in the hallway. She retrieved two heavy-hooded cloaks and tossed them to us. Crossing her arms over her chest, she gave Carson another stern look, but said no more.

After slipping the cloak over his shoulders and pulling the hood up to cover his face, I placed the manacles back onto Carson's wrists. Turning back to my friend, I gave her a warm hug and spoke a quiet word of thanks. Her face softened as she watched us depart.

"You had better come back alive," she said after us, the corners of her mouth turned slightly into a smile. "You owe me a lot of money for all of this!"

It was cold outside, much colder than it had been just the evening before. A renewed stiff breeze picked up countless numbers of fallen leaves from the streets and flung them against passersby. Grasping tightly the chain that held Carson in its grip, I led him quickly through the least-populated streets I could think of back to the wall where the secret entrance into the palace was located. It was much easier to find in daylight, and I thanked providence that we had managed to slip past the gathering crowds in the square unnoticed. Removing the manacles from Carson's wrists once more, I looked up into his face to reassure myself with his determined fervor.

"You should stay here," he suggested softly, bringing up a hand to gently caress my face. "I don't want anything to happen to you in there."

He leaned forward for one more kiss and then was gone, disappeared into the blackness that lay beyond the hidden door. I was left alone. And I would not stand by and simply let him risk his life alone.


	9. So Called Heroes of Legend

A/N: Okay, after carefully considering some feedback from my beta and others, I've decided to gut a good chunk of this chapter. As much as I hate to see some of the parts I've removed go, I'm hoping that the tragic loss will make this a better story overall. It's certainly more solemn and darker this way.

But Carson must tell his story somehow, and I must still offer my apologies to Scots everywhere for my pathetic attempt at imitating Carson's Scottish speech.

-----

I stood for some time at the foot of that secret entrance after I shut it behind Carson, unsure of what I could do to help. It occurred to me after a few minutes that, without him in tow behind me, I could move about the city relatively freely so long as I wasn't recognized by any of the guards standing watch. But where would I go? To the front gate, I decided. Do you all remember Chuli'Ana? She was supposed to be on watch in the palace the night before, but was sick.

Chuli is Lota's older (and more responsible) sister, at that time a strategically gifted and a very talented Lieutenant of the city guard, and was also a friend to Drae'Naya. I knew her well, well enough to know that she would listen to me before taking me into custody; that is, if I could manage to reach her unmolested by any of the other guards that would also be on watch at the front gate. There was not much else I could do except try to solicit more help to our cause, and perhaps save Carson some trouble if and when he managed to escape upon completing his task. If it could save even one person from dying needlessly in a bloody battle, I had to at least try.

Wading through the massive crowd of folks gathered in the square was not easy, but at least my face and cloak blended in with the hundreds of others that packed the small center of commotion in the city. But as I made my way through the crowd and closer to the front guard post, I heard ahead of me the unmistakable sound of the Well of the Ancients being activated. Looking above me at the position of the sun, I realized that it was later in the afternoon than I had thought. Sheppard's team was returning!

Pushing through the crowd with a renewed sense of urgency, I began to climb the wooden stair and banister that led up to the posts overlooking the gate, only to be stopped about three-quarters of the way up by an insistent hand on my shoulder. My body tensed; I was ready to bolt up the remaining steps if the situation called for it.

"Where are you going?" the woman's voice sounded suspiciously behind me. "And what business do you have at this outpost?"

Upon hearing the soft screech of a sword being drawn from a scabbard, I knew that my moment of pretense was at an end. I turned slowly and pushed the hood of the cloak away from my head. She gasped with shock at seeing my face.

"Lady Ky'Lae!" she stammered, replacing her sword in its scabbard. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but there is a warrant posted on the boards for your arrest. You'll have to come with me."

"I demand that you take me to Chuli'Ana at once," I demanded regally.

The guard was taken aback. "The order for your arrest was signed by the queen herself. It specifically states that you are to be escorted to the palace immediately for questioning."

I gave her a cold and authoritative look, stepping close and staring at her with an unwavering gaze. "Then take me to the palace afterward, if you wish. But I am going to see Chuli'Ana whether you allow it or not."

She seemed to ponder this suspiciously, but I was just a single unarmed person. Calling for assistance from a few others who were patrolling the area in front of the main gate, she instructed them to watch me carefully, but did not hinder my efforts to reach Chuli further. My gamble had paid off, and it was all I needed.

I strode determinedly into the Lieutenant's small office that was adjacent to the guard post, and there I found the woman I had been searching for. The poor woman's desk was practically buried underneath a mountain of paperwork, and she seemed to be trying to futilely sort through it for something in particular. When she looked up at me as I entered her office, I saw the look of recognition in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, pushing back a stray lock of dark blonde hair from her eyes. "You do realize that you are a wanted woman, do you not?"

"Yes, I do," I confirmed. "But before I'm hauled off to the palace for questioning, I need to speak with you."

"Then speak quickly," she said kindly, but firmly. "We may soon be under attack by those off-worlders that visited a few days ago, and the queen has ordered that I repel them."

I had suspected as much. "I know who murdered Drae'Naya."

"Illegal slave traders, all of them rogue smugglers," she stated with aggravation. "They are of no more concern to the city."

"No, my friend," I corrected her firmly. "It was not them."

Her eyes narrowed sternly, her face taking on a look of seriousness, annoyance, and suspicion. "Are you trying to tell me that I arranged the execution of six innocent people?"

"I don't know if they were innocent or not," I spoke honestly. "But they were not the ones who murdered Drae'Naya. You may not believe me right now, but I speak the truth."

"Then who?" she demanded coolly, folding her arms over her chest in quite a similar manner to her sister. Lota must have picked it up from her over the years.

"It was the queen's doing." She scoffed at my reply, but I continued staring directly at her in order to emphasize the seriousness of my claim.

"You must be joking," she claimed with a small chuckle, but stopped when she saw that I was indeed not joking. "Do you realize what you are saying? Why would she do this?"

"It was all for the missing off-worlder," I explained slowly and in all seriousness. "I was called to the palace to perform experimentation on him."

"Ah," she said with a nod, finally understanding the meaning behind the warrant for my arrest. "So you are the sole purveyor of this knowledge, and that's why they issued the warrant? Then what is it you're doing here, seemingly turning yourself in?"

It was obvious that she didn't believe me. I was just going to have to convince her some other way. "The off-worlder's friends have come back for him. I told them that I saw him being held in the palace before they left."

"Your point being?" she demanded impatiently.

"I'm telling you that their friend is all that they want," I tried to explain, but I was becoming frustrated. "They'll leave once they have him back. There is no need to start a war with them if it can be avoided."

An out of breath guard suddenly burst into the room. She obviously had something important to report. "The off-worlders are at the gate, Lieutenant! They're demanding to speak with someone in authority!"

Chuli grabbed me by the back of my cloak and dragged me out of her office onto the plated platform that stood over the main gate. Before the huge gate, which was now closed, stood at least thirty uniformed men and women, all armed with deadly-looking advanced weaponry similar to what the visitors had been carrying before, among other types of weapons that I had never seen before. Sheppard and his friends were in the lead.

"We are prepared to blow this gate into smithereens if you don't open it up and at least talk with us," Sheppard shouted to no one in particular.

"I am in command of this outpost, Off-Worlder," Chuli shouted defiantly. "What do you want?"

"We want our friend back," he replied, right to the point. "And we already know he's being held prisoner in the palace, so don't try to tell me he's not here. If you return him to us, we are prepared to leave peacefully."

Chuli was shocked. It was just as I had told her, and she knew it. The significant risk to the city presented by the situation seemed to overwhelm her, but I knew that she was an honorable soldier. She would have to believe me now, and she certainly wasn't stupid enough to doubt their sincerity.

"They will kill us all if they destroy the gate!" I insisted softly.

"If you are not telling me the truth, I will see you executed for treason," she whispered to me threateningly. "Tell them to lower their weapons."

"Why?" I asked suspiciously. "What do you intend to do?"

She softened understandingly. "If they will lower their weapons, I will take them to the prisons to fetch their friend myself."

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief, giving her the most grateful smile I could manage. I felt as if a great weight had been removed from my shoulders.

"Colonel Sheppard!" I shouted eagerly, and saw him look up at me in response.

But before I could say more, the sky was suddenly washed out with the color of fire. The Blessing of the Ancients had been sent out from the Ancient structure against the off-worlders! Had Carson failed them?

He did tell me that part of the story when I asked, and I don't suppose he will mind if I share it with you now. I can still vividly hear his voice in my head, his words tinged with anxiety and emotion, and his accent once again became deeper and more pronounced. I can only hope that I do justice to him as I repeat it for you:

_So, there I was, trying to make my way into the Ancient outpost from the secret entrance, slipping through shadows in the corridors, and tryin' hard not tae be heard. I did remember the way back to the laboratory, though, thank goodness. I managed tae get there unseen, as I suppose ye could safely assume that most o' the guards were out lookin' for us and were expectin' us to be somewhere outside of the palace, not inside. The chair room, which was right next to the laboratory, was'nae difficult tae find._

_But sneakin' in was the easy part. It was sneakin' out after I'd stolen the Zero Point Module that was goin' tae be hard. The panels were all covered with dust, an' I was just about tae eject the ZPM from the power console when the door whooshed open. I ducked down behind the console. Luckily, I wasn't seen. It was the queen comin' in tae use the chair, an' she was accompanied by that awful woman that had me in her grip when Ky found me. There was a bandage on the side of her head, tough skull that one had, an' it seemed she had the dubious honor of bein' the queen's personal bodyguard for the day._

_And it would've worked out and would'nae seen me until the queen sat down in the chair, and then began to call out the drones. I was worried for a while that I would'nae be able to stop it in time, too, but I did manage to yank out that ZPM, and just in the nick o' time too._

_It was too late to worry about not bein' seen by then, though. When they realized what I'd done, the queen and that surly guard were sure pissed about it. I ran for my life when that brute of a woman drew her sword, and you'd better believe that she gave me a hell of a chase. She knew the layout of the palace and outpost much better than I did, and when I turned that last corner before I would'a been free an' out the secret tunnel, two more guards were blocking my path. I was terrified! They'd outmaneuvered me, and I was now back in that woman's evil clutches!_


	10. Fading Into Shadow

A/N: I expect there will be one or two more chapters before this is finished. I hope you are all enjoying the angst!

-----

_O' course the queen demanded that I replace the device, naught that she knew what it was, but I was defiant, remaining silent and uncooperative. They bound my hands once again behind me back, and then began to beat me viciously when I would'nae comply with their demands to bring power back online. I tried tae be strong for ye, Love, an' I did the best I could..._

My thoughts were of Carson and that first kindly smile he had offered me as the fiery light in the sky loomed closer and closer. I knew it would utterly annihilate everyone within a hundred yards of the off-worlders, including most of us standing in the outpost at the gate. Chuli's mouth hung agape with shock and dismay at the sight of the fires from the Blessing of the Ancients heading for the gate. The queen was going to kill the off-worlders, and she obviously did not care who else died with them.

But the light faded as suddenly as it had appeared, and the modules of light flickered and died, dropping down from the sky like bricks. Several landed at the feet of the off-worlders, and their ranks split apart and made way as the devices slid between them across the frozen ground through heaps of fallen leaves, coming to a stop with a small residue of smoke rising in the cold air from each one. Carson had deactivated them! He had saved us!

I took a deep breath, renewed with confidence by Carson's success. "Sheppard, my friends, lower your weapons! We will take you to the palace!"

Upon seeing me leaning over the banister with a grin on my face, he seemed perplexed by the would-be attack, but was more eager to find out what exactly was happening. As they slowly complied with my request and lowered the aim of their weapons to the ground, I ran down the steps to the counterweight system of the gate and pulled the lever to open it, accompanied by Chuli close behind me. The off-worlders stepped warily through the gateposts, but Sheppard hid his suspicion carefully behind a well-practiced military demeanor.

"I hope you have a good explanation for all of this," he said tentatively.

"I am sorry, Colonel Sheppard." I was genuinely apologetic. "It could only have been the queen. I suspected that she might try to use the Ancient weapon against you, and so after I rescued him, Carson went back into the palace to disable it."

"And you let him go alone?" McKay asked incredulously, gripping his machine gun tightly. "Are you crazy?"

"The devices are dead," I said, pointing a finger to the smoking ruins of Ancient technology. "He was obviously successful. But the queen will certainly notice that the devices have not detonated. Carson is in grave danger, and we must act quickly if we are to help him."

Chuli nodded with acceptance, and we took off at a brisk run toward the palace. The guards at the palace gate were easily dispatched with a weapon that Sheppard carried, a hand-held device that emitted some kind of burst of energy when fired, stunning the hapless guards before they knew what hit them. Sheppard and his team all followed me and Chuli as we led them through the bowels of the palace and into the outskirts of the outpost that was buried deep below the surface.

It was not difficult to find Carson. His yelps of pain could be heard echoing eerily through the corridors, and I flinched with horror each time I heard it. Sheppard grimaced with discomfort too, tensing his grip around his weapon as we strained to discern the direction it was coming from. I charged ahead into the central room with the control chair, there to find Carson in the grip of Pel'Ara once more, the queen backing up into the corner of the room behind her. Blood dripped from the corners of Carson's mouth, and a new set of bruises decorated his pale face. I was infuriated.

When Pel looked up to see me, she tensed with anxiety and pulled Carson protectively in front of her like a shield. Drawing her sword up under his neck threateningly, she snarled at me with outrage, speaking clearly and defiantly. "Go, my queen! Save yourself from these betrayers!"

The queen was more than happy to take the opportunity to escape and slipped out of sight into the shadows of a doorway at the back of the room. Sheppard had just caught up behind me and stepped in front, aiming his weapon at Pel. A pained look of utmost relief crossed Carson's features as he saw his friends coming to his rescue, but he dared not speak for fear of drawing attention to himself.

"Back off, or your friend dies!" Pel threatened furiously, pressing the blade of her short sword firmly against the skin of Carson's neck.

"Let him go!" Sheppard demanded impassively, and thus a stand-off ensued.

Pel dragged Carson back toward the door, inching closer to it and testing the steadiness of Sheppard's trigger finger. But no one had noticed Chuli discreetly reaching toward her belt behind Sheppard, grasping a dagger from a hidden notch. They all knew that if Carson's captor was allowed to reach the door that he would be as good as dead, and she would be as good as gone.

With a swift and practiced motion, Chuli flung her dagger at Pel. It plunged deeply through the back of her hand and embedded itself through to the hilt of the sword. She cried out with pain as her hand dropped away from Carson's neck, giving Sheppard the opening he needed. A swift blast from his stunner felled her, leaving Carson panting to catch his breath from the horrific experience and also from the pains of his beating.

Footsteps echoed through the corridors behind me, footsteps that sounded as if they were traveling away from us. Pushing my way through the crowd of off-worlders that had gathered behind Sheppard, I listened intently to the fading echoes. They were coming from a corridor that led off to the north side of the complex, and the realization dawned on me that it could only be the queen trying to make her escape.

I left Sheppard and his team, who were too distracted to notice the noise, to deal with the task of tending to and freeing Carson themselves, and I strode off determinedly to track down the queen before she could slip away into the folds of the city where she might never be found. I brought the schematics of the palace into the forefront of my mind and decided to head her off at an adjoining corridor near the secret underground entrance Carson had entered that she could not avoid in order to make her escape.

My cleverness was soon rewarded as I spotted the queen quietly stepping right within my reach. I stepped out in front of her, determined to make sure she knew exactly what my intentions were. The queen stopped in her tracks, eyes wide with surprise and fear. She searched my stern and stolid face for something, hiding her desperation.

"Why?" she whispered forcefully. "Why have you betrayed me for these barbarians, Cousin?"

I stood as still as stone. "You are the betrayer, Merae."

She was perplexed by my use of her first name, but it did not stop her from using every manipulative skill she had to move me from her path. "You have always served our people with distinction. How can you so coldly turn against your own kin, Ky?"

I said nothing.

But she pressed on. "How could you choose that pathetic male over the years of service that you have given to this city?"

Her words bit at my conscience like the coldness of the changing of the seasons that had bitten at my skin. She could see my confidence falter and pressed my weakness to her advantage, taking a few steps closer. "We can leave the palace together, you and me.

"This device is the key to our power," she said as she produced a red crystalline object from the folds of her robes and took a few more steps forward. "If we can make it to the guard post and rally our soldiers against the newcomers, we can take their technology and weapons for ourselves! If you replace this device and reactivate the Ancient weapon for me, we can rule this entire galaxy together!"

"No," I responded flatly. I had been fooled into feeling guilty about betraying my years of service to my people, but I would not be coerced by her corruption.

She glared at me narrowly and furiously, now nearly face-to-face with me. "How unfortunate."

I barely had time to flinch as I saw the glint of a knife being thrust forward out from the folds of her royal robes. Without even a chance to react, I felt the sting and yelped as the blade was embedded deeply into the left side of my abdomen and twisted viciously. I gasped with surprise and shock, blinking in utter disbelief. The queen smiled cruelly, and then leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"You should have accepted my offer, Ky," she whispered impassively as she withdrew the dagger, wiping off the blade before replacing it back into its holster. I slid helplessly to the stone floor at her feet. "I will not allow you or these off-worlders to take away what is mine. They will be joining you in the afterlife soon enough."

I could scarcely believe what had just happened. Merae was selfish and power-hungry, but I had not even suspected that she might try to murder me, her own cousin. Grief and an immense sadness overwhelmed me as I watched her retreat into the shadows of the corridor without a hint of regret. Blood began to pool behind me on the floor, but I only barely noticed it over the tears that began to flow freely down my face. A pained sob escaped my lips and I felt lightheaded as the cold stone of the corridor began to draw all heat from my body, and grew darker, fading into shadow.

But before the shadow overtook my consciousness, I felt a warm pair of hands grasping my face and pulling me close. I had only a vague smattering of sensation left, but when he spoke, I instantly knew him by the foreign inflections of his voice. It was Carson, and he was holding me tightly within his arms.

"Ky!" he cried desperately, but it barely seemed more than a distant whisper to me. He tore a strip of cloth from his cloak to staunch the bleeding. "Hold on, Love. I've got ye."

It took a great effort to force my eyes open. I looked up into his face and gazed happily into his pale blue eyes, moved by the concern for me that I sensed within him. I thought I should have been shouting, but my voice was weak and my breath shallow. "I'm glad your friends found you."

"Aye," he responded shakily, trying to force a reassuring smile. "You're goin' tae be alright, Lass. Don't you worry. You've got the best doctor in two galaxies lookin' after ye."

"My wound is mortal, Carson," I said softly, grimly. I knew that the knife had pierced my liver, and that I would soon bleed to death. But I was not concerned for myself, but for him. "I'm sorry... I suppose I shouldn't have run off alone."

"Nor should I have, either," he said with an understanding smile that faltered as tears began to well in his eyes. "It's my fault."

"No," I whispered, trying to stave off the looming shadows in my mind, but failing miserably. "It's not... your fault. Carson... I..."

I could not stop the darkness from overtaking me. My eyelids drooped closed and I felt my body go limp in his arms. He clutched me tightly, whispering soft and encouraging words in my ear, and the last words I heard before losing myself were his.

"Colonel, if we don't get her to the infirmary immediately, she's goin' tae die."


	11. From Darkness Into Light

A/N: Yeah, I know this chapter is a lot shorter than the rest, but think of chapters 11 and 12 as sort of a package deal. Two for one!

* * *

For a long time, I felt only that I was drifting through a veil of mist than hung over my eyes, listlessly and endlessly. I was not aware of being carried toward the Well of the Ancients, nor was I any more than only subconsciously aware of the heated discussion between Chuli'Ana and Sheppard as the dialing device was keyed to open a doorway to another world. I can recall none of the words that were exchanged between them except to say that they were both insistent about something, and then were both calmed swiftly and sweetly by Carson's chiding and desperate tone. 

I did not remember being carried through the portal to be swiftly laid onto a gurney, but I do somehow remember the sensation that followed as my shallow breathing faded. Only vaguely aware of being in motion, I felt the cessation of each organ in my body giving up on life all at once. It felt like long ago that I had released my despair unto the ending of the world around me, and I was ready to pass through the dusk and into the dawn of my eternal life. A feeling of contentment and peace filled me, prepared me.

But the pressure in my chest would not let me go. Carson would not let me go, damn him. I wanted nothing more than to allow myself to fade away into the blinding nothingness that surrounded me, but he insistently pulled me back. Once… twice… then third time I was yanked back into that realm of pain and hollow sensations. How long had it been? I had no recollection of how much time had passed. I only knew that Carson was fighting for me, fighting to bring me back from the peaceful depths of my passing into the utter reality of pain as my life lay in his hands, back to that realm where I had suffered.

Suddenly, everything was all too real once more.

"That's it, Lass," Carson whispered desperately. A few cold drops of sweat dripped from his face onto the exposed skin of my left arm, and it almost felt as if his voice was emanating from inside my own head. I could not be sure it was real. "Keep breathin'. You're goin' tae make it through this, I promise."

I blinked my eyes groggily as the strength of his will seemed to send a jolt of energy from his hands through my body like a bolt of lightning. My eyes would not focus on him, though, and my body remained helplessly out of my control for some time. It was much easier to simply let Carson's hands do the work for me. I felt his fingers stroking my cheek, heard his voice trying to get my attention, but I could not move much less respond. A light began to glint as if far away and moved across my field of vision, and then the blackness took me once again.

-----

I remembered nothing more until that moment when I once again became aware of the pain. The ability to sleep lightly and remain lucid during those times I should have been unconscious was not a new experience for me. I can recall being quite lucid, though I felt no pain, as a dentist was tasked with anesthetizing me and removing one of my rear-most teeth; and I can also recall one particularly nasty bout of illness from my youth where I was quite delirious with fever, and each moment was still vividly burned into my memory. I inherited a strong constitution from my mother, both for pain and for feisty brews, and it enabled me to push past the familiar sensation of that medicinally-induced haze to reach consciousness well before it seemed I was expected to.

The room was utterly empty except for me in my bed and some kind of machinery that emitted strange sounds next to me. I had apparently been placed in a secluded area of this hospital, or the _infirmary_ as I believe they had called it, and I was somewhat nonplussed to find myself surrounded by the same bleak off-white walls that I recalled from the Ancient structure on Lae'yere, only brighter. There were no windows to let in sunlight, and the air had only the faintest hint of an antiseptic smell in it. I was hit by pangs of regret and guilt as memories of the last few days flooded my mind, which worsened the condition of my unsettled stomach.

Biting back the bile and nausea, I knew I could not allow myself to retch, or else I'd rip the careful and studious stitching that held the two parts of my wounded abdomen together against the swelling. A line of fine tubing fed some blood from a bag hanging on a hook into my arm, and I marveled at the risk that they had taken to replenish my blood. Not everyone's blood is compatible with another's, and it was a well-known fact to me. I had once before encouraged some of the local healers to study the issue further, as the idea of transferring blood was thought of as 'unclean' among my people, but the benefits of being able to safely transfer blood from one person to another were immense.

Obviously, Carson's people had solved that riddle, and it pleased me that there was still so much more he would still be able to teach me since I was indeed alive and on the mend. Giddiness filled the gaps in my overly-medicated thought processes, and I would have chuckled heartily if it had not caused me so much pain. My short outburst must have been noticed, as I was quickly given a grievous amount of attention from several orderlies that asked me some of the strangest questions in an effort to accurately gauge my condition.

As strange as it had seemed then, perhaps it would not seem so now. Carson had entered shortly afterward, wearing the customary uniform that he had worn when I'd first seen him, but over it wore a thin, white linen coat. He offered me his most tender smile, but I could see that his fatigue had made it difficult for him. Dark circles were firmly entrenched under his eyes, and he appeared pale and in even worse shape than he was in even after I had just broken him out of the prisons. A shadow crossed my features as I realized he had probably not been able to sleep at all, his concern not allowing him to rest peacefully.

This time when he placed his hands in mine, they were cold and clammy to the touch. My strength had not completely returned, and so my grasp was weak, my hands trembling with the effort. Carson gazed down at me tiredly, but was confident and content to see me awake. He obviously hadn't expected me to recover consciousness so soon, and didn't seem to mind the lack of respite.

As he leaned over me with that luscious smile of his, it seemed as if there were a million things that he wanted to say, but could not find the words. "Are ye feelin' much pain?"

"Not too much," I said to him softly, offering a smile of my own. It seemed to put him at ease. "So, have you gotten word yet of what has transpired on Lae'yere while I have been recovering?"

Carson scoffed slightly, his grin broadening. "You've never been one to worry about yer'self before yer people, have ye?"

I resisted the urge to laugh, knowing the pain it would cause me if I did. "I suppose I'm not."

"Well," he began reluctantly, "we've not had a chance to send any other teams to your world since we brought you back with us. So, no, there's no news on that front. But your friend Chuli did assure us that she'd handle the matter of bringin' the queen tae justice until you returned, but warned us before we left not to come back without you safe an' sound."

I nodded solemnly, feeling intense fatigue about to overcome me. Carson looked over at the device and tubing that led into my arm and smiled expectantly, as if he knew something that I did not. I gave him a perplexed look just as my eyes were about to droop closed of their own volition.

"That's the morphine finally kickin' in, Lass," he said with a soft chuckle. "Remember when I told you about it in the hospital? It'll take care of the pain. You just rest easy."

My eyes would not remain open any longer, and my senses faded out of my awareness as sleep overcame me. My hands remained intertwined with his for some time, and it comforted me.


	12. We Say, Bittersweetly

A/N: Well, this is the end folks. My beta might pick on me to fix a few typos sometime in the near future, but this fic is now complete and I hope you all found my story moving and encompassing. On to my next project, I shall go! I think it will be another creepy one.

Ahh... Carson... Gotta love him. He's _the man_. --dreamy sigh--

* * *

Several days later, Carson reluctantly certified me ready to leave the infirmary, but was insistent that I remain off my feet for at least another week to allow the stitches to heal. I was well enough to walk around on my own now, at least. I wasn't sure how many more assisted trips to the lavatory I would have been able to tolerate from Carson's orderlies. They were kind to me, but watched over me like hawks ready to swoop down over their prey if they felt I was about to over-extend myself. And it was because Carson was protective of me, and they feared his wrath more than seeming to be not so attentive to their patients.

Carson had come to me and spoken of our scheduled trip back to Lae'yere, but I had not been positive that I was ready to go. For all I knew, the queen could have retaken the palace and might have been just waiting to ambush us the moment we came through the Stargate. But he was supportive and kind, and although he didn't want to force anything on me that I didn't want, he did remind me that Sheppard and the rest of his team had volunteered to accompany us, for safety reasons of course.

So as I stood before the Well of the Ancients, or rather the Stargate as the Atlanteans called it, the portal opened back to my world, and I stood trembling before its shimmering vortex. Carson's hand slipped comfortingly around my waist, and I embraced him one last time before stepping forward, half expecting a party of soldiers to be standing about ready to kill us all. But as I found myself back on my own world, the sun was shining, birds were singing, and the chill breeze kicked up around us without a sign of anyone in sight.

As we made our way to the front gate, I gaped with amazement at the ruin that lied before us. The front outpost had been burned completely to the ground, probably the day after we'd left. But as I looked on, there were women shopping in the districts ahead, seemingly unfazed by the grotesque spectacle. I swallowed back the discomfort and worry, trying to fathom what had happened as we pushed forward.

The hospital was just ahead, and was quite busy with activity. It was so packed full of patients, that there were even a few able-bodied patients waiting on the steps for their turn to go inside. They were all soldiers or guards of the city. I stopped in my tracks when I saw them, and was eventually prodded forward by Carson's supportive gaze. At my approach, I let out a hesitant breath that I had not realized I was holding as the wounded soldiers raised their hands with a respectful salute.

"Lady Ky'Lae," one of them spoke assuredly. "We were growing concerned for your safety. The lieutenant has been waiting for you in the palace."

"What happened here?" I asked with concern, my confidence slowly returning.

"Soldiers and mercenaries loyal to the queen, My Lady," another explained through pained gasps. "They tried to come to the aid of Merae'Lae, but Chuli'Ana defended the palace in your stead."

The first one spoke again, her pride showing through in her voice. "The battle was fierce and many died, but we won."

"I should have been here," I said to Carson solemnly, allowing the soldiers to go and find treatment for their wounds. Guilt stabbed at me for allowing all of this to happen.

He laid a supportive hand on my shoulder. "You know as well as I that there's nothin' more you could've done."

"Ky'Lae!" a voice shouted behind me. It was Chuli'Ana. Apparently she had heard of my return already, and was quickly approaching from the palace gate, but with a distinct limp in her gait. "I am glad you have returned. I have something for you."

With a questioning look as she stood at attention at my side, she handed me the red crystalline device that Carson had removed from the Ancient weapon system. I looked down at it with apprehension.

"I repelled the queen's loyalists, My Lady," she explained stoically as soldiers filed in around her. "But she is not dead, I'm sorry to say. I dragged that hag from the hole that she'd hidden in and threw her in the prisons myself."

"Good work, my friend," I said to her, smiling with astonishment, and then turned to Sheppard. "If you wish to prosecute her by your own laws for the crimes she is responsible for, I will sign the order for her extradition into your custody myself. Otherwise, I intend to make sure that she lives a long and miserable life in the palace prisons."

"We don't really have a prison facility," he said, glancing over at Carson for his opinion.

Carson shrugged casually, but seemed to feel that justice had been done. "Aye, we would'nae have anywhere to keep her long-term, really. But I'd say that I'm satisfied that she got what was comin' to her."

"Indeed," Chuli affirmed satisfactorily, but seemed troubled by something else. It wasn't like her not to speak up about something that bothered her.

"Is something bothering you?" I implored.

"Well," she began furtively, concern etched on her normally smooth face, "we no longer have a queen to govern us, and we can no longer count on Merae'Lae to protect us from the Wraith should they decide to return."

"I have the ability to use the Ancient technology," I said contemplatively, then turned to Carson with an eager smile. "Would you be willing to teach me how to use the Blessing of the Ancients? I give you my word that I shall only use it to defend the city."

He laughed haughtily. "I think that's a task best suited to Colonel Sheppard, Love."

Chuli stammered, gaping at us with astonishment. "You… You all have the gift of the Ancients?"

"They have it," Teyla said helpfully. "Ronon and I do not have the gene."

"Then it should be you who is appointed as the new queen," Chuli said to me reverently, then slowly and respectfully kneeled. "And I would be honored to serve the city as your first Lieutenant, my lady."

My breath caught in my throat as the city guards and soldiers that were surrounding Chuli protectively followed suit in waves until every single one of them was kneeling respectfully before me. The shoppers and surveyors of wares also joined, seemingly eager to see new leadership in the city. I was too shocked and overwhelmed to say anything that could not be considered humble. "I cannot accept the position of queen, not like this."

Chuli looked up at me, perplexed by my outright refusal, and was about to argue, but I continued before she had a chance.

"There will be an election, and if the people would choose me as their queen, I will then accept the position," I explained, my voice sounding a lot steadier than I felt. "Until that time, though, I will accept the position of Steward to the throne, and I will protect and serve the needs of the city to the best of my ability."

A deafening cheer welcomed me home. I smiled, still overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, and turned to Carson. He was the only concern I still had left.

I had to win him over. "And for my first act as Steward, I hereby ban the trade, sale, and keeping of men as slaves."

Gasps and whispers passed through the crowd, but no one dared speak against me. A hush fell over the people and the whispers died down. They filed away to return to their duties or their shopping, and I knew that the whispers would persist for some time, but those who knew me would know that I did not truly expect the change to happen overnight. There would be dissent, of course, but that could be dealt with. Throughout that moment, I had not taken my eyes off of Carson. He shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, knowing what I was about to ask of him.

"Stay with me, Carson," I pleaded longingly, taking his hands once again in mine. "I know it will take time for all of this to come to pass, but you would be treated as a king. I can promise you that."

"Ky," he began, looking down from my gaze and seeming unsure of what to say. "I'm a doctor, an' maybe an explorer, too, but not a king. I have a lot of responsibilities and research to do already, an' I cannae do it from here."

My expression hardened, but Carson was not too proud to let his tears flow freely. I smiled tenderly, using my fingertips to wipe the tears from his cheeks just as he had done for me what felt like so long ago, and pulled him close. Our kiss was passionate and intense, and felt all too brief for my liking.

We exchanged promises to visit each other, and he even gave me a radio, a transmitter, and a special code that I could use to gain admittance to Atlantis to see him if I got too lonely. But as I watched them leave, my heart felt heavy and weary in my chest, and I was consumed with the fear that I would never see him again.

And then I smiled with amusement as I heard McKay tease Carson, "I can't believe you actually cried in front of all those people."

I was contented as the corners of his mouth upturned into a wary smile as he disappeared beyond the ruins of the gate. After that, I tried to busy myself with my new duties, tried to keep my longing for him buried deep within me. Within a few weeks time, Sheppard and McKay had begun returning occasionally to fulfill their promise of teaching me the delicate workings of the Ancient weapon, and Carson returned with them each time, much to my delight.

They still return from time to time, though with each passing day in between, I miss Carson that much more. It was one of those days that I could not bear to keep the image of him from my mind that I prepared this story to be told. I thought that perhaps you people of Earth, you who were also borne of the same planet as he, might appreciate this tale. Perhaps some day, when both our galaxies are safe from peril, you might spare him to return on a more permanent basis. Hope springs eternal, my friends.

Carson, if you're listening, I hope you know that I love you. Please come home soon.


End file.
